


THE THING IN THE WOODS

by theblacksheepwriter



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha - Freeform, Argent - Freeform, Beacon Hills, F/M, M/M, McCall, Reboot, Scott - Freeform, Stiles, Teen Wolf, War, Werewolf, Werewolves, allison - Freeform, derek - Freeform, hale - Freeform, sterek, stilinski
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-28 02:03:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 301,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblacksheepwriter/pseuds/theblacksheepwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allison and Stiles lost their moms. Her mom died when she was four and his just six months ago. Things have changed now that they're back in Beacon Hills. The first time they meet a spark bursts inside them, a weird connection they both try to ignore. But everything changes the moment they assist to a rave  in the woods. A scary thing wakes up and people start dying in the town. Stiles and Allison try to start over their lives but when Scott and the mysterious Derek appear in their lives feelings and secrets start popping up inside them. They are no longer safe in the place they used to call home and they must learn to trust in those two boys and their feelings if they want to survive. But what if the creature they are desperately running off its actually one of them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. SPARK

 

Life is bittersweet, as tears in charged with so much pain, yet, is always bigger the amount of happiness that its hidden behind them.

 

I

SPARK

 

As they pass by neighbor southwest Stiles swift his glance from the road, feeling his dad´s eyes on him, so he take a deep breath, _smile_ he says to himself, he has to smile, when their eyes met, Mr. Stilinski´s lips curves in a brief grin, they are now just a few towns away from Beacon Hills, and a few hours from Portland, they used to go to Portland in Christmas´ eves with Scott and his parents, and walk down the streets, get presents for everyone, watch the fireworks in the night sky.

 _Smile_ he says again in his mind, as his dad put his avocado eyes right back on the road, Doctor Stilinski is 42 nowadays, yet he never seemed so old as now, in matter of months the time has come to take away his smile and replace his young fair skin for a wrinkled and reddened one, eyes tired by the road, by his work and sleepless nights that carved deep hollows below them, _Smile_ Stiles thinks almost aloud.

Before they realize are already driving into Beacon Hills, Stiles like that place, reminded him so much about the good times, about being the quirky and socially awkward youngster, getting in trouble with Scott anytime, breaking into the abandoned mill by midnight and drink booze to survive the winter cold air, maybe that´s why come back seemed like the best choice, Stiles has a lot of friends back at home but maybe change the environment, and be with Scott could help him to come back to be the awkward boy, the problem is that Stiles is not quite sure if he wants to, in other hand he knows his dad´s worried about him and at the same time he´s worried about his dad. His grandparents’ home is set downtown near to the school and the forest´s line, when they come out of the car he take a quick glimpse toward Scott´s place next to his new home, the sky is greyish and the air dry and cold, maybe that´s the reason why the curtains overlay the windows.

“Let´s go, inside” Says his dad as he put a jacket over his son´s shoulders, Stiles snorts briefly with a smirk on his lips and look at the weathered red bricks of the façade, and opens the black wood door. The first thing they notice when they come inside is that grandpa´s Parkinson didn´t let grannie time to take care of the house, as they exchange glances Stiles can almost read his father´s mind, _This was a bad idea_ he is written in his eyes, and maybe his father is right, swap home with his father´s parents seemed like a good thing for everyone, but maybe just maybe they should have stayed and take care of them.

In other hand Stiles thanks he has a lot to do, so he can have an excuse to not go to Scott´s, he hasn´t seen him since the funeral and the things are being awkward since them, Scott thinks he can find a magical word to take all the pain away, and Stiles keeps getting into uncomfortable silences when he´s with his best friend.   

“Why don´t you…- His father begins but Stiles is faster.

“I think I´ll better stay and clean up a little” Stiles hints, as he walk to the stairs and picks up old mail´s envelopes.

“Actually I was going to say you to go change and them we could have dinner outside” His father suggest.

“Why don´t you go and bring it home? This gonna take a while” Stiles explains as he look for the broomstick in the hallway, and start to brush the messed and opaque wooden floor.

“You can do that tomorrow” His dad suggest with some concern in his voice.

“Tomorrow got School and I´ve missed several weeks already” Replies as he sneeze, there is so much dust in there.

“Are you sick?” His father ask frowning, as he drops his bag and looks for some antiallergic pills, “Take, and don´t abuse of them” Start with _that_ glance, Stiles ignore him, he knows what _the glance_ means, it means that his dad is afraid, means that he feels like a fraud and also means _you look so much like her,_ but Stiles just waves away that thought and fix his eyes on the bag, it contained so much things that could really help to do all that situation nicer for both of them.

“I´ll back” His father announces and walk to the car. 

“Dad!” Stiles hints him with some warning.

“What?” His father says turning on his heels with a sheepishly smile.

“No fries, no burgers, no candies” Stiles sentence bossily.

“But… All bodies…” Dr. Stilinski starts.

“And no fake Dr.´s talk you know that junk food is not healthy” Stiles points out grinning.

“Fine” His father replies defeated with a giggle and there is _the glance_ haunting him anew, and then his father leaves.

Stiles picks up the dirty clothes from all the rooms, lot of grannie´s tops and grandpa´s sweaters, then he finish taking the dirt away from the floor, the cracker crumbs from the old fashioned cushions with kitten patterns, and take the rotting tea´s cup from the coffee table. Mops the floor and wash the silverware, by the time he´s taking his dad´s clothes into the drawer he hears the door opening again. When he comes down his father is carrying two hamburgers in his hands and beckons to him with a grin.

“Dad!” Stiles starts with a glare.

“Mine is vegan” His father breaths out reluctantly, walking to the small kitchen and placing the dinner above the table.

“I´m too tired right now, but tomorrow I´m gonna cook and you´ll have eat whatever I say” Stiles says drifting up the corner of his lips until his mouth turned into a devilish smile. “Even beet and Brussels sprouts”

“You wouldn’t dare” His dad challenge him dreadful.

“Try me” Stiles sneers.

**..........**

“Are you sure you don´t want me to drive you to the building trade?” Allison ask as she follow her dad downstairs.

“Nice try, and no you won´t get the car” Her father scoffs as they sit the in the living room to watch a horror movies marathon while they eat popcorn.

“Headshot” Christian shouts while the Zombie´s brains came out of the screen thanks to the wonders of technology.

“Oh I think I´m gonna get sick!” Allison cries as she runs upstairs, they were used to do their horror movie Marathon on Sundays but since her dad got the 3D Television into the house it´s being almost unbearable for her to watch a full movie without throwing up, with all that blood, brains and intestines flying out of the screen, Allison have this feeling deep inside that her father enjoys watching her run upstairs, _so immature_ she thinks as she cleans up her face in the sink, he needed friends of his age and so she did too, to her it´s seems like since they came back to Beacon Hills they both have been living apart from the rest of the world, she didn´t know how many time they would be staying this time but she would like to get friends and hang out a little, she knows a couple of girls in school but they are boring to death, she wants to do things, to run, to jump, to fall and laugh, and wants that too for her dad he deserves to have  fun weekends instead of spend his Sundays watching Game of thrones with her.

**..........**

“Mr. Stilinski and Stiles already arrived?” Scott´s mom says as she walks passing by Scott´s room noticing the windows closed.

“Mom” Scott starts with low voice, eyes swollen and reddened, “I´m not sure, I think I got the flu”

“Oh honey, do you want me to tell Stile´s dad to check you up?” She suggest as she takes off her police hat, unloose her curly long hair and it falls on her back.

“No! Mom! Mr. Stilinski must be exhausted, I´ll be fine in the morning” He promise with a brief smile as he covers his body with the blanket.

Mrs. McCall gets into bed after putting her gun in the bedside table, Scott was right Mr. Stilinski and Stiles must be tired after driving maybe it would be best to wait until the next day to see them, but she couldn´t hide her excitement for having them in the next door, she missed so much her best friend and Stiles and Scott could keep an eye on each other, they need one another, specially Stiles with all what he have lived in the past months but she´s also worried about her son, she can´t tell but she knows something is going on with him. 

  **..........**

When his dad gets into bed Stiles’ smile fades, walks into his room and discover it is the exact way it was when he left it the last time, it used to be his dad´s room so there were still some posters of his favorite bands, over the thin bed before the window still are the same moth-eaten blue sheets, the floor still squeaks when he walks over it, the only remarkable difference is the slim ivy climbing up the window, it is almost inside already, Stiles jumps onto the bed as a cloud of dust rise over him, choking him and making him sneeze loudly,shoves his hands in his pockets but they´re empty, _where did I left the pills?_ , thinks moody, he is feeling really tired which is a great achievement considering how hard has been get to sleep the last months. As he climbs down the stairs the idea he got in the afternoon comes again into his mind, if only they… Instead of climbing down for the bag he pass by his dad´s room, he´s sure Mr. Stilinski must be still awake but he´s certain his father won´t notice if he takes a look at the medical samples suitcase in the closet next to the room, and as he walks by his dad´s room notice that there´s no snoring. Stiles sneaks to the closet in the hallway and with a quick flick of the wrist opens the door, there are his father´s clothes and suits that didn´t fit in the grandpa’s dresser, and some of his lab´s gowns and below the suitcase, Stiles hesitates as his hands trembles, but that´s the best he can do now he knows his father won´t let him take Prozac, not even for his ADHD, but it isn’t like it matters anymore, he´s just not that Stiles anymore, yet he needs them, he´s concerned about his dad.

He takes the orange bottle of pills, closes the suite case with a _click_ and heads off, squeezes them in his hands, everything is so dark that is hard for him to watch his way back, but it isn´t a problem for him considering all the time he has spent in the house in his 17 years, the wood squeaks briefly on his feet once more, it means he arrived his room, when he opens the door in the middle of the thick darkness a pair of amber eyes rise from the bed.

“Scott!” Stiles gasp as he loses the grip of the bottle and it falls from his hands, he instinctively tries to catch it up, but even though Scott is far is faster and before the pills reaches the soil, his best friend is already holding then in his hands. 

“Antidepressants?” Scott hisses arching his bold brows, Stiles’ best friend is now a complete jock, dark haired, tall, olive skin, broad shoulders, and thin nose, huskier than Stiles reminds quite opposite him who keeps being too gawky. If someone looked for scrawny in the dictionary would probably see a picture of him. 

The air is thicker now and Stiles swallows, he feels anxious yet he hurries to reply, “Hi Scott, yeah I just found it downstairs”

“I´ve been cleaning, I think those are from grandpa” Lies conveniently, he´s always been a good liar.

“And you got them into your room because…” There is a hint of doubt in Scott´s yellowish eyes.

“I was just gonna save them for dad, he´s already asleep and didn´t want to bother him, he would probably get use for them in the hospital” Says politely.

Scott hesitates before handle it back to him, when he have them in his hands again hurries to shove them into his pockets.

“You´re back” Scott murmur with a grin.

“Yeah, it´s been like centuries since we left” Stiles admits trying to forget the reason.

“I´m sorry I didn´t show up before, it´s just that I´ve feeling sick lately” Scott says grimacing as he sits back into the bed.

“It´s ok I thought about going to your place but I guessed your mom would be tired with all her work” Stiles lies again, what a good liar he is. 

“Actually the town has been really quite lately” Scott hisses. “Just a few deer that were found mutilated in the woods the pasts weeks”

“Yeah? How´s that weird?” Stiles ask confused.

“The wounds seemed odd or that´s what mom said, and the rarest thing is that they weren´t eat by any animal” Explains.

“Are you saying that they were killed by a person for no reason?” Stiles frowns, sitting next to his best friend, he almost forgot how comfortable he felt speaking with him even talking about brains and intestines were fun if he did it with his best friend. 

“No” Scott shake his head, “They were definitely killed by an animal, but they´re not sure which and not even crows or worms try to eat the corpses, they were untouched, that´s why it´s weird”

“Creepy” Stiles hisses as he lets out a giggle.

“Yeah definitely” Scott laughs as he yawns. “Damn, I´m so tired, coach make us run every morning by five o´clock” explain as he stands, “I think I better get going or he´s gonna kill me if I´m late again”

“Are you still in that shitty team?” Stiles chuckles as he speak, drops himself onto the sheets and glance the ceiling full of spider´s webs.

“Were doing better every day, actually I´m the new Captain” Scott breaths out a little ashamed yet some proud in his voice.

“Well done dude! I think we finally are going to win a game” Stiles scoffs.

“Yeah, I guess you´re right” Scott smiles as he jumps down the window, and Stiles fell fast asleep with a grin in his face, maybe getting through all that would be easier for him if he had his best friend by his side.

**..........**

“What if I drive you work and then go school without any stops anywhere?” Allison hints in the morning while she tosses her backpack in the car´s trunk.

“That´s what I fear most, you driving by the streets without stopping anywhere not even in the traffic-lights, poor walkers” Her dad scoffs sarcastically walking to his seat.

“Come on dad! You know that it isn´t what I meant” Allison replies biting her lower lip.

“Get on! You´re gonna be late” He shouts as she´s closing the trunk when she notices a glimpse next to her backpack.

“What´s this?” She says doubtful as she reveal the tiny objects beneath a black cloth.

“Um… Cameras for the building” Her father says flatly, “Now get up” Adds bossily.

“With solar panels?” She scoffs as she close the trunk and get into the passenger seat, “Don´t tell me that you´re now interested in the environment” Laughs. “You´re an architect dad! Your work is destroy the beauty of the nature” scoffs.

“Shut up or you´re gonna walk to school” He warns her yet with a smile on his face.

**..........**

Stiles is walking downstairs when he notices sounds in the kitchen hurries his pace but is late already, before the table is a plate with two eggs a slice of bread and bacon, in front of his is his dad already cleaning his plate.

“Dad” The boy starts, but his father ignores him.

“What are you doing awake so early?”

His father grabs a towel and dries the dish, as he turns on his heels, the hollows are deeper this morning yet the man manages to smile to his son.

“I don´t wanna be late in my first day back” Says politely yet Stiles can read it on his face _I couldn´t sleep_

“You´re like a kid in your first day school” Stiles chuckles getting a piece of bacon and putting on his mouth, his dad forgot to put salt on it.

“Yeah missed the town” Admits with yarn, then doctor Stilinski washes his hands again adjust his doctor´s gown and pass by Stiles and heads out but the boy doesn´t hear the door instead his father approaches him back.

“Almost forgot” Says the man tugging his hand in the pockets. “I woke up early to pick it up for you”

Stiles frowns a little confused then listens to a jingling and something gleams in his father hand, Mr. Stilinski let the keys next to Stiles’ plate.

“Dad…” The boy begins almost chocking with the overcooked egg.

“You know the rules” Dr. Stilinski warns him. “No speeding, you have to pay your own gas and if something happens to it it´s your responsibility” Says authoritatively, but Stiles isn´t listening he´s still staring at the keys shocked, he has a car, no, he has his parent´s jeep.

“Dad…” Tries anew.

“Please don´t make Mrs. McCall put you an infraction” The man begs.

“I won´t I promises” Stiles hisses as he hugs his dad, he just go the best present ever, after a few seconds his father lets go to walk outside yet he stops one last time.

“Oh I almost forget, and no sex in the backseat”

“Dad please!” Stiles shrieks as his cheeks burns.

“And if you do, don´t forget about using…”

“I know dad, I´m not stupid” Stiles’ eyes are on the floor, why his father have to be a doctor? Why he can´t be a lawyer or something that made him feel less embarrassed about his body?

After his father leaves Stiles finishes his meal approaches the sink and quickly cleans the plate, he´s so excited wants to run out and get up in his new car but first he needs to take a shower, he goes upstairs and get into the bathroom, he tosses his clothes on the floor and gets into the shower slightly rotating the handle, the cold water drips fall over his skin crisping it as a long shiver gives him Goosebumps, the hot water isn’t working so after a few minutes he runs out covering his body with the towel enters his room and gets a pair a jeans, and a t-shirt but then he think twice and grabs his red hoodie just in case.

After getting out he´s happy for bringing the sweater, outside the air is so crisp that almost cut his skin, his nose feels hard and frozen, what would happen if he touch it with the his fingertips? Would it shatter? Stiles closes the front door behind him and there it is, his father´s green Jeep, old and rusty and yet the coolest car that Stiles have ever seen in his life. When he gets up the first thing that he notices is the chocolate milk stain in the tapestry, he was just six and his mother was so mad at him, Stiles lets out a weak giggle, and his sight becomes blur and gauzy, lets out a whimper and covers his mouth with his hand, take the pills out of his pocket and looks at them, the car still smells like pine needles.

“Hey” Says a cheerful voice next to him, Stiles lets out a cry of shock and glances to the copilot´s seat, where Scott is staring at him with a grin, sweaty wearing sports clothes which has stuck to his olive skin. 

“Dude your dad gave you the car?” Scott says stunned.

“Yeah but he kept he SUV” Stiles snorts, blinking quickly to wash away his eyes without call Scott´s attention, _smile_.

“So what? I always have to take the bus with the freshmen I feel like a loser” Scott complains.

“I know I´m just kidding, I couldn´t change this car for any other in the world” Stiles says excitedly at the time he beckons Scott to get up.

“Oh! Wait I´ve running since early morning, need a shower first” Scott explains grimacing, he always grimaced it didn´t matter that he was a jock now he still was the awkward boy´s silly best friend, Stiles take a look at Scott as he gracefully jumps over the fence and frowns, his friend has changed so much since the last time they saw one other, like if he was a completely new human being.

**..........**

“You´re late” Grunts Mr. Harris when Scott cross the classroom´s door the professor is the typical middle age loser that spends his Friday´s nights thinking how to torture his students next Monday, Scott sighs it isn´t his fault that the coach keep pushing them harder and harder every morning, when Cole fell after an hour running the coach made him run another extra hour for being the Captain, Scott was soon starting to regret being in the team.

“And what do we have here… “Says the chemistry teacher looking at Scott´s back, “Do we know each other?” frowns eyes fixed on Stiles.

“Hey Mr. Harris” Stiles says shyly.

“Mr. Stilinski what a wonderful surprise” The professor claims with a smile yet his eyes aren´t smiling at all, and Stiles gives him a grin as empty as the man´s.

“Wait, no sarcasm at all?” The man ask stunned.

“No Sir, no sarcasm this semester, but who knows if you´re lucky you might get it next one” Stiles replies bitterly, and Scott have to cover his mouth with his palm to not laugh and see some of his classmates doing the same, god he missed him so much.

Before leaving Mr. Harris chance to reply Scott beckons Stiles to follow him to the empty places, unfortunately they got really late and most of them are already taken, so Scott sits in the first place he spots while Stiles walks to the bottom of the class, Scott follows him with his glance and then he notices _her_ in the seat next to his friend´s, he was such an idiot that he had to take that place and get his chance to talk to her _she_ was so beautiful.

**..........**

Stiles didn’t care much about what he said to Mr. Harris, the man was a total ass, how´s that the only fun he have in life is make the teenagers to feel miserable? Stiles sits and throws a quick glance to the board, they´re speaking of the atomic models, _piece of cake_ he thinks as he take his notebook from the bag, as usual Mr. Harris´s class is boring to death, is hard to concentrate, behind the window to his left is Lacrosse field and beyond the woods, how was that story about the lights in the woods? His mom used to tell him about it, it was… one night a boy in the dark… one night a boy in the woods, he can´t think clear, he liked that story when he was a boy scared in the dark in the middle of the night and couldn´t sleep, sleep.

“Mr. Stilinski!” Shouts Mr. Harris´s voice, Stiles jumps on his chair and falls backward letting out a groan, everyone around starts laughing loudly and ashamed Stiles stands.

“Yes sir?” He ask casually.

“What I was telling?” The man challenges him “Or you were too busy snoring to pay attention?” Grunts.

“Uh….” Stiles hesitate and takes a quick sight of the board, they were talking about Bohr, _think, think what you know about Bohr?_  

“Uh… yeah, Bohr really awesome” Blurts out, and everyone burst to laugh again.

“Ah yeah?” Harris says despiteful, _think, think, think._

“Yeah, I mean the guy rocked describing how two points charged orbit each other and how years later they later used the energy levels to get the quarks masses” Stiles hurries ashamed.

“It seems that you know much about it despite I haven´t talk about it yet” Harris hisses with a big smile on his face, and everyone start murmuring and looking at him.

“It means that can get out early?” Stiles suggests and everyone laughs harder.

“Why not? Get out of my class” Harris yells his face reddening.

**..........**

Allison is still stunned, haven´t noticed the boy´s presence next to her, but now that he´s leaving, she can´t help but laughing like the others, she look at him closer, what was his name? Stilinski, pale skin, sunken brown eyes, pink a slim lips curved in an empty smile, scrawny and somewhat clumsy as he walk, she haven´t see him before around, but then why?

“Miss Argent!” Mr. Harris´s voice makes her startle, Allison almost fall from her sit too, and can´t help but laugh as she recalls Stilinski.

“What´s going on today with all of you?” The man grumbles scowling.

“I… umm…. I´m sorry…” Allison says between laughs, ahead next to Mr. Harris is a boy looking at her, but not the way the others do, he´s not mocking, is smiling, who´s that?

“Get out you too” Harris order and an Ice knife stab Allison in her chest, she haven´t being kicked out of a class before, nonetheless she stands and grab her things and walks to the door, feeling everyone´s eyes over her, but over all that boy´s.

“Anyone else wants to leave?” The man challenges the class angrily while she´s closing the door, and Allison is almost sure she heard some chairs moving.

**..........**

Stiles enters in the cafeteria and get a yogurt, he´s not hungry but wants to keep his mouth occupied and he likes the thick texture, Harris was an awful teacher how was that they still let him teach anyway? Sways his eyes around the room, takes a spoonful and let the sweet and a little bitter taste relax him a little, walks next to a roll of tables until he finds one completely empty, how he fell asleep anyway? He was thinking about his mom, something about her, oh! The bedtime stories, how was them? Stiles has troubles recalling the stories, but he´s sure in a night… a boy in the dark. Someone throws a backpack next to him and sits in front of him, Stiles jumps on his seat but try to act casually.

“I got kicked too because of you” Says a girl´s voice in front of him at the time she sits, Stiles looks up and meets his eyes with hers,and feels a slight stitch in his chest that quickly fades, and the he startles, why? He´s not sure, but there´s something about her, and maybe she notices his recognition because she´s glancing back at him stunned as if she scared him, so Stiles calms down and avoids her glance.

“Well it seems my plan worked” Stiles snorts as he quickly look at her again and there is the stitch, her eyes becomes wide and he knows he can´t look her again or she would think that he´s insane. So he just details her without fixing his eyes in any particular spot, She´s tall with clear and bright skin, slight dimples in her cheeks as she smiles at him, long lashes that make her dark eyes shine, her hair is black and long in curls that falls to her back, she´s wearing an alabaster dress to her knees with red dahlias all over, above she has a black jacket that matches her long dark boots.

“I haven´t see you around before” She points out biting her lip.

“I just got here yesterday” He explains with a smirk.

“Really? So you´re the new guy and are already looking for trouble?” She laughs.

“I´m Mitch by the way” She says her name and arches a brow and a dimple slight marks in her left cheek.

“Stiles and I actually used to live her…” Stiles starts but is stopped by one newcomer.

“Hey losers” Says a girl joining them, Stiles ups his eyes and gaps, the stranger is a short red haired girl, with picky green eyes, short nose, and fleshy red colored lips, she looks at Stiles in a bitchy way and then sits next to Allison.

“Thank god Harris asked if someone else wanted to get out, gosh! I was dying he doesn´t even know what he´s talking about, I mean he didn´t mention Eisenberg once” She laughs, and Stiles and Allison exchange glances, she is wearing the cheerleaders uniform they are sure of it.

“I don´t know how they let him teach in here anyway” scoffs

Stiles and Allison still look at her awkwardly as she were some kind of alien and she notices because hurries to reply.

“Don´t look at me that way I´m a cheerleader not dump” laughs, and Stiles and Allison can help joining her.

“I´m Lydia” Says grinning at them.

“Stiles”

“Allison”

“I know who you are Allison you´re so gorgeous and I´ve been the whole week waiting for some reason to talk to you, most of the girls in here are so shallow” Lydia snaps.

“I know what you mean, I´ve been dying of boredom since I got here, but Stiles changed that when he managed to get me kicked out of the class” Allison chuckles.

“That´s not my fault” Stiles defends himself at the time the bell rings and the cafeteria get crowded in seconds, Stiles looks around looking for Scott, but isn´t there yet.

“Very brave by the way” Lydia assurance. “Oh look is the jerk” Adds pointing at Stiles’ back. 

“How did you called me” Says a voice behind, Stiles tilts his head back and face a boy of his age, tall and a little built wearing an old fashioned shirt, a pair pants and headphones over his broad shoulders.

“Isn´t that your name?” Lydia hisses mischievously.

“Don´t pay attention to her, she´s a bitch” The boy laughs sitting next to Stiles. “I´m Jackson, Jackson Whittemore” Points out.

“As I was telling you this jerk in here, is the most hipster guy in school and he thinks that he´s a dj or something” Lydia explains devilishly, yet her eyes smile at the boy, are they a couple? Stiles hopes not. 

“They are Allison and Stiles” Lydia points at each one, “well you know them already you were at Harris´s class”

“You are already famous in here” Jackson snorts looking at Stiles, “No one ever made Harris that angry before”

“Yeah isn´t he cute?” Lydia says “It´s like all nerdy but creepy, it´s kinda hot”

“So you´re into nerds, good to know” Stiles says as he look straight at Lydia and she blinks at him, “And it wasn´t big deal, I used to do that to Harris” Explains recalling those days were his ADHD and his bitter tongue used to get him in trouble.

“Wait a second” Jackson says thoughtful. “Stilinski, I remember you”

 _Here we go_ , Stiles thinks deflating in a wink.

“Wait a second you used to live here?” Allison asks. “Oh yeah, you told me a minute ago I´m sorry”She frowns and there some suspicious in her eyes.

“Yeah um... we left two years ago, but now we´re back” Stiles explains and his chest starts aching, he doesn´t want to remember.

“How´s your mom?” Jackson says, and all the noise, chats and laughs around suddenly fade.

“Um… fine! Umm… well not fine exactly… I mean… she died six months ago” Hisses, at the time Lydia cover her mouth with her hands and Allison gasps and her eyes get darker.

Jackson open his mouth for reply, Stiles is not looking at him but he knows how he´s staring at him, as if he could understand his pain, as if he have the magical words to make his sadness to fade, to get the shattering pieces of him back together, to tell him that he´s sorry as if it did have anything to do with him anyway.

“I gotta go” Stiles says as he grabs his bag and gets out, he walks out the cafeteria, sees Scott coming in but he vanish into the crowd at the door, he doesn´t want to talk to anyone just walk across the hallways, with his eyes nowhere, there is too much people they breath, they laugh, they make noises, it’s overwhelming, he stumbles against someone and its pushed against a looker, finally he manages to get out of the crowd and get into the bathrooms, jog the sinks and washes his face with the icy cold water, his head aches but he doesn´t care, he couldn´t be sad anymore, he couldn´t, his dad was worried about him, Stiles have to make him believe that he was happy that he was the clumsy old Stiles. Stiles shoves his hands in his pocket and takes out the Prozac, takes a pill a put it in his mouth swallowing fast, take a fast look of himself at the mirror and smiles, _smile_ , Take his bag and walks out of the school, the parking lot is desert so he hurries to get into his jeep, puts on the engine and drives nowhere.

He´s not surprised when he stops, thought he planned to drive anywhere away from the school he ends up there, stops the engine and pulls out, puts his eyes on the facade, it´s untouched the people have been pretty respectful which he thanks, the grass is long and thick dark green because of the gray sky, Stiles walks stiffly and breaths, _the boy in the night,_ he still can´t recall straight and the Prozac is making it harder for him but at least there is a tiny chunk of bliss in his chest mixed with that painful longing that always was there since _that day_. Opens the granting and made his way between and grass and undergrowth, he stops at the door sweep his hands over the peeled varnish in the wood, takes the knob, it´s closed, Stiles looks at the windows, the living room´s has an small gap he address it and wedges his fingers underneath pulling up hard, the filthy crystal pane made a dull slide up.

“Hey you! Get out of there” Shouts a voice making Stiles to quiver and hit his crown with the wood bottom of the window letting out a gaps.

Stiles turns to face the male voice through the vines and brushes in the yard.

“Stiles!” Says the voice and Stiles have to squint to focus in the next door´s figure, then he grins, Dr. Deaton it´s there, getting out of his house carrying stacks of papers and his briefcase, haven´t changed at all. Dr. Deaton was one of his father´s best friends which is funny though he used to be after his mom at high school then his mom dated his dad and they all became friends, his father and Mr. Deaton went together to college in Portland and became doctors, Stiles gin turns into a wide smile. Dr. Deaton was a dark skinned chubby man, with knowledge’s in all kind of subjects, was fun and sarcastic sometimes, Stiles approaches.

“Mr. D!” Stiles says

“I´m glad to see you Stiles” Replies with a smirk in his fat lips.

“How´s Marin?” Stiles asks recalling Dr. Deaton´s daughter who was a couple of years older than him.

“She´s fine, graduated a couple of months ago, she´s back in town with her usual condescending” Snorts. “Shouldn´t you be at school by now?” Asks frowning.

“Yeah, I just needed a minute here, please don´t tell my dad!” Stiles pleads.

“Don´t worry I won´t tell, but get back to school” Dr. L says in a chuckle while they eyes meet and Stiles sees a glimpse of sorrow in his, puts a heavy hand on his shoulder, “I´m glad you´re back” and with this words he gets into his car and drives away. 

Stiles tilt back his head at the larger gap beneath the window and marches toward it, the hole is big enough for his shoulders to pass sloping so he shoves is head inside, the smell of dust makes him sneeze when he breaths in again the dust crept his mouth right to his throat chocking him, Stiles struggles coughs and falls inside, he stands still coughing a looks around, the house is exactly the way it was the last time instead of the thick layer of dust over everything and the spider-web´s hanging in every corner yet it felt like home, he closes his eyes and let his body guide him, pass by the tea table, enters the hallway, at his left are the stairs at his right the front door, in front the dinner and behind it the kitchen, and for a second he was running around the place now clean with Scott both holding rubber bats and pretending being knights.

Stiles climbs the stairs, eyes still shut, he knows them very well so he doesn´t need to open them, in the third step a six-aged version of himself is tearing off his knees crusts. He gets to the top and walks straight to his room, it must be there, it has to. He opens the door, it’s a little dark but not too much, his bed is undone as always, cd covers scattered on the floor next to the empty dresser is his bookshelf, looks around the Out of here´s saga, swift his fingers across Zero Year until he finds it. Stiles takes his childhood´s book and look at the cover, it´s a dark forest, but it´s center is a lightning bolt that is illuminating tiny creatures with big bright eyes, some insect-alike, horses, kids, his mom was a good painter and writer she loved to write stories for him. He opened the book and found a silver chain with his name, he takes it and attaches it to his neck, then looks back at the book searching for the story, the one his mother read for him when he was too scared to sleep, but he can read it´s too dusky inside the house glances toward the window it´s all dirty yet he can see a tiny piece of the woods across it.

When he climbs down his eyes still on the book find the story and its name was _the light in the darkest night._

“One night that seemed darker than any other before _”_ he reads to himself his feet moving autonomously.

“The most nosey boy in the world came out of bed and walked straight to the door” Laughs, child voices around, Stiles chuckles, steps behind him, turns but there´s is no one around the street, the street? When he got to the street?

“He never liked the darkness much so he wanted sleep with mom and dad, but something then went too bad” Something sizzles beneath his feet, Stiles detaches his eyes from his book and sees to the ground, he´s surrounded by pine´s needles and crouched dry oak´s leafs, he´s into the woods but doesn´t remember walking so fast, maybe he was just a slow reader, turns his head back and can´t see the road, he´s deep inside the woods all he can see is aphyllous trees around. He would look for his way back if he wasn´t feeling so comfortable in there therefore instead of getting out he lays his back against the uneven surface of the nearest oak´s thick roots.

“He was lost and terrified wandering alone in the woods, in the middle of the night” A hand clasp his shoulder and Stiles startles dropping his book, his heart pounding hard against his ribs in seconds, tilts back his head and his eyes meets Allison´s an there is that _stich_ again in his chest.

“Allison!” He gasps calming down and swaying his eyes, she is looking at him again in that stunned way.

“How did you find me?” He asks surprised.

“I followed you” She says with concern. “I was worried about you”

“Don´t be I´m fine” He replies lamely.

“No, you´re not, there is a lump in your throat, you feel like you´re choking every day of your life but you don´t die, you blame yourself unconsciously, have endless nights in your best days and nightmares haunts you even awake” She mutters, her eyes are distant.

“How do you know?” He asks.

“My mom died too” She explains a little sad.

“Uh… I´m sorry” Stiles says blushing.

“It´s ok, I´m fine now, even though you don´t believe it yet because it hurts, and it hurts so much that you feel that you´re tearing apart, it gets better, bit a bit, day after day it will hurt less, well not hurt less you just get used to the idea until you can remember her with a smile because and all what you can recall is the great times you lived together” She smiles at him, and Stiles smiles back.

“Thanks” Says even though he´s not completely sure of her words.

“What´s that?” She asks pointing at the book covered by leafs on the ground.

“Um…” Stiles hesitates as he takes it and scoffs, “It´s just a book my mom wrote for me when she was pregnant it supposed to have all the things that she wanted me to learn from life”

“Like a journal?” She frowns.

“No, it´s actually a fairytale book” He chuckles blushing she probably thinks he´s crazy or something for reading that at his sixteen.

“Wow! That´s so sweet! Go ahead read, I wanna hear a story” She smirks sitting next to him, “She painted it too?” Asks stunned.

“Yeah, she loved to paint and write actually” He says proudly slightly touching the header of the darkness night´s story, where it was a full colored boy hanging a lantern as he walked inside the woods painted over the wilted yellowed leafs of the book.

“Go ahead” She urges him expectant, Stiles hesitates and clear his throat.

_One night that seemed darker than any other before_

_The most nosey boy in the world came out of bed and walked straight to the door_

_He never liked the darkness much so he wanted sleep with mom and dad._

_But something then went suddenly, too bad_

_He was lost and terrified._

_Wandering alone in the woods, in the middle of the night_

_Stumbled with roots, rocks and trees_

_And felt that from that place he would never leave_

_Missed his mom, his dad and friends_

_And wondered if he would ever see them again._

_And wherever around he placed a stare_

_Tiny little eyes glanced back at him_

_There were green and yellow, brown and blue_

_And more a and more showed around every time he looked anew_

_He began to gasp, to sob and cry_

_And so the others did alike_

_Then he stopped to sob and looked at them_

_And got they were more scared than him_

_He tried to reach a group of three_

_But they started to run, to jog and flee._

_When he thought that there were no more around_

_Found a pair of blues eyes mourning alone lying in the ground_

_He offered a hand but the eyes hesitated_

_And before he realizes they were both hugging_

_A light gleamed coming from nowhere,_

_And then he saw it was a boy from his age_

_One by one the other eyes came stunned_

_Attracted by the light that came from nowhere_

_Then he noticed that his body shone_

_And understood that he had to fear no more_

_The other kids came around and hugged him_

_And he glowed so hard that almost blinded them_

_They laughed, singed and played with him_

_Until the way back home appeared at end._

_They hugged again and said goodbyes_

_He never would be alone again in the night_

_He came back into his bed with a big smile_

_Because he knew he was the light that shone in the middle of the night_

_Never be afraid of what you discover in the dark_

_Because it might be the brightest thing_

_You would find ever in your life._

 

“Wow it was beautiful and powerful” Allison hisses as her dimples marks in her cheeks.

“You think so?” Stiles says frowning.

“Yeah, it teaches the kids to not be afraid of sleeping in the night but also that even the most dark person has light inside” She murmurs.

“I never seemed that way, I always thought it was about empathy, he felt sorry because they were afraid and forgot about his fear because he was worried about them” Stiles says arching a brow confused.

“Yeah it also is, it has some many things hidden in a simple story, I wish I could write like your mom” She adds with longing.

“She had bad times writing sometimes actually, said that she always needed to find a spark” He chuckles.

“Yeah?” Allison seems confused.

“Uh… um… What was that thing she used to say?” Stiles grimaces as he tries to recall, “Oh yeah! She said that she had a lot of ideas but never wrote them until she find the spark in them, that thing that gives meaning to everything in the story, like a missing piece in a puzzle, and when this spark appeared in the story then everything she imagined happened”

“That´s pretty ama…” Allison Starts.

“You can´t be here” Says a deep voice next to them, Stiles and Allison stands quickly and look at Stiles´ left where is standing a guy of 22 maybe 24 years, he´s tall and barrel-chested with broad shoulders, short black hair connected to his jaw by a slight stubble, his eyes are ice-blue and even colder than the air, wears a pair of jeans and a black leather jacket, moves a feet and instead of walking, gracefully sweeps toward them.

“This is a free country” Stiles says causally yet he´s intimidated, feels Allison hand pressing hard to his shoulder.

“Not this area” The guy grunts and swifts his eyes from Stiles to Allison and for a second Stiles see him get paler.

“Stiles we better go” Allison hisses at his ear almost inaudibly.

“Why don´t you listen to your friend?” He advise Stiles. 

“You can´t own the woods” Stiles points out, they were having a good time he can´t just show up and get them out, he´s a little afraid yet he can´t let that guy to tell them where and were not to go.

“That cabin over there is mine” The guy points at his back, Stiles and Allison glance behind him a few rows of trees they spot a big Cottage next to the lake. “And its surroundings too”  

“What? You can´t own the lake” Stiles accuses his face reddening.

“Not the whole lake” He says sharply with a glare, “Are you nuts or something?”

“Stiles let´s go” Allison says grabbing him by the arm at the time he feels the _stich_ again in his chest, they walk back into the town and a few minutes after left their reading place find a sign that reads _private propriety._

“Is this your house?” Allison asks in a gasp while they stop next to his jeep, her forehead soaked with sweat some strands of her hair attached to her skin.

“Was” Stiles mutters his eyes in the two story house. “We´re living at my grandparent´s place for now, and they took our place in Colorado”

**..........**

When they get back into school physics has already started, the professor is unknown to Stiles, a really short and fat man with a weird haircut and a crazy-like eyes, Allison and he take seat with Lydia and Jackson, the girl winks at him when they sit as if she knows some kind of secret, Stiles smirks beside the weird experience in the woods his first day back hasn´t been that bad at all, and thanks that Lydia and Jackson are not mentioning his mother, Allison is right his going to be fine someday but for now would be better to not think about it or hear people saying that they´re sorry for his mother´s dead even though they ever met her.

After class Stiles spots Scott speaking with a par of boys and a girl, who is leggy blonde senior or maybe older for being in high school her left hand on the black boy´s jacket´s forearm that seemed too thigh, he was huge, the other boy is well-built too but not as much as the first one, his sleek hair is clear brown with golden strands, his charcoal skin turns pinky and swollen in his lips and the bags beneath his bluish eyes which suddenly drifts on Matt, even though is still far enough to be unnoticed, then the girl and the other guy turn their necks toward him, all of them look straight at him except Scott who´s listening what they have to say, Stiles swallows and walks toward his friend by the time he reaches them Scott´s new companions leave eyes still on them.

“Hey” Says Scott smirking when he finds him then his eyes drifts away from Stiles, he follows them and find his friend smiling to a distracted Allison that laughs with Lydia´s jokes about Jackson´s mixes.

“Who were those creepy guys?” Stiles asks getting Scott back into real life.

“Uh….Just random guys that wanted me to attend to a party tonight, I think they did it because Isaac is in the team and he wants me to put him as receiver in Friday’s game” Scott explains frowning.

“And you can?” Stiles asks stunned.

“No! the coach do that´s stuff but I think he might give him that position I mean, Isaac is really fast I haven´t seen anyone run faster than him, I´m not going anyway” Scott says as they walk outside. “Wanna wait for me after practice? We could get a burger”

“You just want me drive you home” Stiles points out laughing.

“Stiles please! The bus is already gone after practice if I have to walk a Mile after practice I´ll probably die” Scott begs.

“Fine, but you´ll have to pay the burgers” Stiles says chuckling, he´s happy to wait for Scott after practice he has not much to do at home anyway and his dad working in the hospital… He would be alone the whole afternoon and night, yeah why not wait for his friend and hang out a little?

The Lacrosse field is behind school in the wood´s limits, Stiles sits in the grandstand´s middle awaiting the practice to start, after five minutes awaiting Allison and Lydia appears next to him.

“What are you doing here all alone?” Ask the cheerleader.

“Um… Waiting for Scott, he´s in the team and asked me to stay a little longer, needs a drive home” Stiles explains politely meeting his eyes with Allison unconsciously and there is the _stitch_ again, no it is bigger now and more abstract more wild like a, like a _spark_ bursting in his chest, puts his eyes back on the field and the moment the team starting showing up in the playground, Scott walks toward the center of the field followed by the rest of the team among who´s is Isaac the bluish eyes boy from before, Jackson stop following the team into the field and jogs toward the grandstand.

“You won´t believe it” Says Jackson excited reaching them.

“What? You discovered that you can actually see without those hipster glasses?” Lydia asks giggling.

“Funny” Jackson snaps with a glare, “Is not that, see, do you guys now Isaac right?” Says with mysterious voice.

“Yeah who doesn´t knows Isaac” Lydia replies casually.

“I don´t” Says Allison scowling.

“He´s the coolest guy in the school, you know who, the most hot, and mysterious in here, all the boys want to be him and all girls wants to sleep with him” Lydia explains biting her lower lip.

“So you wanna sleep with him Lydia?” Jackson hisses sternly. 

“Don´t be jealous, is not just me” She points out skimming his cheek with her long red polished nails.

“Anyway he´s throwing up a rave tonight in the woods, and wants me to be the Dj, can´t you believe that?” Says excitedly.

“A rave? What the hell is a rave?” Allison says confused.

“Is one of those underground parties where is so many drugs that someone ends up dead eventually” Lydia says with despite.

“Don´t overreact he told me that I could take you” Jackson says smirking to her, Lydia lets out a shriek of excitement and kisses Jackson quickly before he stars speaking again. “Actually he gave me four bracelets, you guys wanna come?”

“I think I´ll pass this one, gotta make the dinner” Stiles says stiffly.

“Pass this one?” Lydia scoffs. “You gotta be kidding we probably won´t be invite ever again”

“I um… have to check up with my dad first” Allison says grimacing.

“Oh come on, what´s this? Kindergarten?”

“Well it seems that is just you and me” Jackson says disappointed.

“Hey Whittemore, move your ass down here” Shouts a voice from the field, and he departs.

**..........**

When Allison gets home she finds her dad in the kitchen, all cupboard´s beige doors spread and he´s kneeling is head below the sink, she hears him gasp, and puff.

“Dad?” She asks confused.

“Yeah honey?” He says as his voice echoes all around the kitchen.

“What are you doing?”

“I um… was cooking and then heard a noise and found a broken pipe” explains in a moan.

“Oh! Umm need help?” She says.

“No! Don´t worry I´m almost done, just let me end up here, take a shower and we´ll have dinner”

“Um... Actually dad I was thinking that maybe I could go to a party tonight” Suddenly there is silence, she can´t even hear the buzz of the fridge next to her, why she was so afraid her father was the coolest man in the world.

“You have school tomorrow” He points out casually.

“Yeah, but I won´t stay long I um…”

“I brought two new movies we haven´t seem” He arguments and Allison feels guilt.

“Dad we can´t be this way any longer, we need to do things to have friends it can´t be you and me forever” She lets out, and after finishing her sentence she´s already regretting her words, she is all what her father has left besides uncle Jaime but she doesn´t see him since she was five or six can´t even remember his face anymore.

“You´re right” Her father says getting his head out of the pantry, his eyes deeply hurt. “You need friends”  

“But tomorrow is school day Allison and we won´t discuss this again” He grunts, “I´ll take a shower and then We´ll have dinner” Her father was so unfair, if he could only understand that she wouldn´t be invited again to one of those parties, she shoved her hands in her jacket´s pocket and look at her bracelet. 

**..........**

Stiles stops the car and finds that Scott is staring at a pair of violet bracelets with a frown, he hasn´t noticed that they already arrived home.

“That´s the party pass?” Asks with a shrug, the awkward Stiles has social anxiety but now it seemed something so distant from another life.

“Yeah, Isaac gave them to me after practice, I told him we wouldn´t go though” Says Scott noticing that they are already in home.

“One of those is mine?” Stiles says surprised. “Have send some of those with Jackson for Allison, Lydia and me”

“Wait Allison is going over?” Scott gasp, Stiles sees a lump in his throat.

“Yeah, She said something about asking her dad” Stiles says casually, yet he notices it Scott is unease and have his doubt face, he´s considering going to the party after all.

“We could…” Start.

“I have to stay, if I don´t cook my dad will probably get a hamburger covered with chocolate and then fry it” He smirks.

“Yeah I gotta stay too, my mom would freak out if she discovers that I left and went into a rave in a school night” Scott says disappointed, they get out of the car and walk to their respective homes.

“Hey” Scott shouts at Stiles back while he´s getting into his house, when he turns sees a gleaming purple disc flying to him he catches the bracelet and looks back at Scott confused.

“Why you´re giving it to me?” Stiles says

“As a reminder that we were invited to the coolest party in the year” Scott grins, Stiles knows what he means, they were a pair of losers their whole life, just they two getting into trouble, always alone ignored by everybody else but still they got those bracelets to get into the rave.

**..........**

“Come on is already starting” Allison´s dad says from the hallway, she finishes washing up her teeth and comes out of the bathroom, climbs down the stairs and sees her father´s back already making place for her in the sofa, she needs to get out, they can´t condemned themselves to depend on each other for ever, she sits when his phone rings.

“Hello?” He father says picking up the call. Allison keep her eyes on the screen, why her father picked up a musical for that night?

“What? Now?” He says a little angry. Allison drifts her eyes off the screen and slightly move her neck toward him.

“No, it´s fine” Finish cutting the call.

“What happened?” Allison asks

“There´s is a meeting in the building, apparently some workers stayed afterhours and there has been an accident”

“Oh my god! Are they all right?” She asks shocked.

“I don´t know gotta go and checkup” He says standing and walking to the hallway.

**..........**

The carrots and the potatoes are already cooked, Stiles gets out the chicken from the oven and serves his father´s dinner in the plate, he is exhausted but at least he knows his dad is being well fed, is being hard learning to cook for them, but after his mom got into remission he started learning, he needed to be useful somehow couldn´t let his dad work it out all by himself, though he´s doing his best he knows that isn’t enough, sometimes he forgets the salt others the spices, one night cooked everything but the chicken, but he keeps trying to make his food as tasty as his mother´s was, so his dad can stop pretending he loves it and forgets about getting fries and donuts at work he would be healthier and everything would be fine. When he´s cleaning up the pots sees movements in the peripherals of his eyes, looks up through the windows and catches Scott closing his house door walking in the sidewalk in long strode away from his house, he thought Scott would stay home he has to run several miles next day morning after all, yet he´s going away, Stiles cellphone´s rings.

“Hello?” Says without seeing the remittent.

“Hi loser” Allison´s voice says, and the _spark_ burst again in his chest.

“You´re in the rave?” He asks.

“My dad got a work emergency, Jackson and Lydia are already there so I was thinking that maybe you could give me a ride” She suggest.

“Um… I don’t know Allison, it´s not like I´m too sociable” He excuses.

“Come on it will be just an hour at most, I just wanna get out of here I´m dying with boredom really need a real teenager´s experience it´s been like two towns since the last time I went into a party and just because my dad had another emergency”

Stiles shoves his hands in his pockets and take a look at his bracelet, _it gets better, bit a bit, day after day it will hurt less_ Allison´s voice says in his head, Stiles could walk into the rave for a while distract a little, there isn´t anything bad about trying to heal his wounds actually it is the best for him even though he doesn’t want to.

**..........**

“Hell!” Stiles gasps shrugging. “Your house is so big”

“I see it pretty normal actually” Allison says with a smirk getting into the car.

“Let´s go, but just an hour ok?” Stiles says arching a brown.

“Yeah, don´t worry” She assures as Stiles puts on the engine, they drive away Allison´s neighborhood in the middle of the town, pass by many buildings and some stores, when they pass next to the abandoned neighborhood Stiles shoves his head from the window and stare at the ivy-full granting behind it the rows of Victorian-like houses all untouched by humans or years, it is a neighborhood that´s been abandoned like forever Stiles hasn’t ever seem someone living in there and according to his parents it was that same way when they were kids, it’s almost like a tourist attraction in the town, who can own that place and never use it? Before they notice are outside school, he parks next to the other cars in front of the Lacrosse field and get down.

“Are you sure it’s here?” He says confused.

“Yeah, that said Lydia´s text” Allison replies beckoning him to hurry, they walk half field feeling the intense lights at their backs and ahead like eyes, Stiles thinks that the police will show anytime an grab them like if it is a trap.

“Allison…” He starts.

“Don´t be such a girl, we´re gonna have fun I promise” She says excited, When they´re in the middle of the training field they spot a little light in the woods, just as Lydia´s text said, they start walking toward it, they reach the limit with the woods and Stiles reminds that afternoon when got into the forests mechanically almost unconsciously because of the Prozac, they cross the pine lines that cut the field and breath out.

“Stop” Say a pair of voices, two students are standing before them in the darkness carrying a flashlight that barely blind them when they step in, Stiles´ heart lurches and Allison lets out a gasp, the light points at their wrists.

“Go ahead follow the light” One of the boy´s says. Stiles and Allison recover their air and continue their way following the tiny light in the distant, leafs and sticks creak under their feet, the low moonlight make the branches of the naked oaks form spooky figures in the sky above them, with every step and every Stiles´ fall into the ground they are closer to the light that is shining more intensely, swaying, dancing in the wind until they understand that it´s a torch pinned in the ground, what Stiles thanks, it´s making so cold in there that he´s thinking about staying next to the torch until it’s time to go home.   

“Guys, guys here” Lydia´s voice says near them, but they can´t see her, Stiles blinks and looks around now they see some clothes but not faces, it is so dark in there, why there are no more torches or lamps? “I can´t believe you made it, it´s about to begin” Says thrilled. 

A big thunder sounds and the yelling beings, loud music muffs the voices and multicolor lights start being displayed in the middle of the darkness, discovering spots of body parts and faces, there is a lot of people around them, Lydia yells and grabs them by the arms.

“Come on we gotta be closer” Says shoving them into the crowd, bodies clashing with them, laughs, shrills, some other disgusting sounds climb to their ears, finally lines of torches are being lit around the place and then Stiles sees Jackson in at the bottom next to two big speakers behind a metal table that seems like a power station.

“Stiles you came” Says Scott voice next them at the time a tall boy shows up and takes Lydia to dance with him.

“Yeah you said you wouldn´t come” Stiles points out a little upset.

“I´m sorry, I just thought you weren´t in the mood for parties” Explains his friend, “Oh hi I´m Scott” Says offering a shy smile to Allison.

“I´m Allison” Replies the girl, her dimples marking hard in her blushed cheeks.

“Yeah I know, I´ve seen you for a while” Says the boy, “Um… I mean, I´ve seen you, but not seen like a stalker or something I just” He laughs embarrassed, Stiles sighs his best friend can be a jock now but haven´t changed much, he´s still have issues flirting with girls.

“I´ll have a hike” Stiles announces though he´s pretty sure they´re not paying attention to him.

**..........**

“Where´s Boyd” Derek asks as he sees Erica approaching him.

“He´s checking up that there´s none around” The girl replies resting her head in his shoulder.

“He´s here” Isaac points out appearing next to them and them pointing to the boy speaking to the black haired girl, that _girl_ , Derek´s stomach gives a jump.

“Why you have to tell the whole school?” Derek grunts.

“I need more friends” Isaac chuckles. “And it would be too suspicious if he came alone”

“This is not a game” Derek warms.  “It´s time” Announces. “Be careful” orders, Pete gasps and approaches the boy and that _girl_.

“Are you sure about this?” Erica asks. “We could do it in the easy way”

“I´m the only one giving orders in here” Derek grumbles as he puts a smirk in his face while Isaac, the boy and the _girl_ walk toward them.

“Hi” Says Derek politely noticing _her_ suspicious eyes on him. “I´m sorry about what happened in the morning” Says looking at _her._

“I just thought you were robbers or something” Adds with a shy smile, feels Erica´s arm circling around his harder.

“No um… I am the one who have to apologize, Stiles and I trespassed it´s our fault” _She_ says embarrassed, Derek swallows. The others stares at them confused.

“Scott this is the guy I wanted you to meet, he´s Derek Hale” Isaac introduces him as Derek told him. “This guy is so awesome they never lost a game in the three years he was the Captain in his school”

“Wow you were Captain since freshman?” Scott says stunned.

“It wasn´t a big thing, you had to see my team, they were too gawky” Derek scoffs. “Anyway, Isaac has been telling me how awesome you are, and that you guys have a game this Friday and he asked me if I could give you guys some advices, if you want of course” He breaths out.

“Yeah that would be awesome” Scott says gratefully.

“Can´t you guys talk about your balls in the cabin? I´m getting a little sick of this party” Erica complains and Derek smile pleased inside.

“I don´t know his girlfriend seems like having a good time, I don´t want to ruin their night” Derek says looking at _her._

“Oh… no…. we´re not” _She_ tries to say exchanging glances with Scott.

“It´s ok, I can take care of her while you guys talk” Isaac offers, “What you say?” Says looking at Scott, but the boy seems unconvinced, Derek told Isaac it was a stupid idea, he knew it.

“Well we can talk a few minutes” Scott says gingerly.

“Well if you don´t want there is no problem, Isaac invited all us to the party you don´t have to miss it just because of me” Says Derek.

“No, I´m sorry, I would like definitely…”

**..........**

Dr. Deaton had a long day at work, he just wants to get into bed, he´s not even in the mood to prepare dinner, he opens the front door, gets into the house turns on the light and ignores Marin sitting in the couch looking straight at him.

“With that lurking thing I wonder why you don´t have friends, people must find it hilarious” He says undoing his tie and taking out his gown.

“Hey dad!” Says the girl sharp and polite a weird mix as his daughter.

“No seriously, you need friends, why didn´t you go to that _secret_ party in the woods?” He asks.

“He´s back in town” She says more sternly this time.

“I know” He replies. “More reason to attend that party”

“Why?” She asks frowning, “It is tonight?”

“Look at it this way” He explains, “When you´re doing a jigsaw puzzle you can see the pieces apart but you don´t understand how they fit in the big picture not even when there´s just one left, but when you finally find that missing one and nail it is that you can see all the pieces playing their parts”

“So it means…” She says.

“It starts tonight” He finishes. 

**..........**

Stiles lost track of Allison and Scott after a while, it was a good thing right? It meant that they were knowing each other, yet he was so bored despite the fact that Lydia is completely wrong about Jackson´s taste in music he doesn´t feel comfortable there, maybe he should just leave but he can´t let Allison in there, Scott hasn´t a car to drive her back home and her place is really far from there, if he could spot her, Stiles starts walking into the crowd until he finds Scott and Allison he approaches them to discover they were accompanied by Isaac, the blonde girl from lockers and  the creepy guy of that morning, they knew each other’s?

“Allison” He says beckoning her, she breaks from them and reach Stiles.

“What are you doing with those guys?” He says scared, there is something about them that makes him shiver, and there is Scott walking with them out of the party.

“Where the hell is going Scott” Asks

“Don´t worry, Derek is a cool guy he just apologized with me, he thought we were robbers can you believe that?” She explains.

“And you believed him?” Stiles says shocked.

“Yeah, is not like he threatened us with a gun or something he just said that we were trespassing that´s all” She scoffs. “Scott is pretty nice by the way, I think he likes me” Hisses her eyes shining with the torches around.

“I don´t know, I don´t like him or Isaac or any of them, maybe I should go for Scott and…” He starts.

“COPS” Someone yells suddenly, Jackson stops the music and people start screaming and running, Stiles falls to the ground, severe feet stomps over him, Allison helps him stand, the torches are being turned off, branches are being broken, screams are heard far, the leaves in the floor crackles and then everything went silent.

“I think we´re alone” Allison mutters next to him.

“We´re is the way back?” Stiles asks confused.

“Are you crazy? The cops probably have come following the torch we must take another path” Allison says taking him by the arm to not spread in the thick darkness, _spark_ again in his chest, his breath gets out of control he´s scared, he doesn´t want to get in trouble, he knew he didn´t have to come, he gets air in his lungs and lets it out but the feeling in his chest doesn´t fades, they are walking nonsense in the darkness they don´t know where they´re going yet Stiles doesn´t care too much about it he´s much interested in that sensation, that thing, that _spark_ he knows it has something to do with Allison, but how? It sounded stupid even his mind he doesn´t even want to think about saying it aloud but he has this thing this urgency to say it, he can´t take it anymore.

“Allison… um.” Starts, but thinks twice, he can´t do it, it is stupid, yet it increases it is almost chocking him.

“What?” She asks.

“I um… I don´t know how to…” He tries to say.

“Stiles this is going to sound stupid” She almost babbles, “But since the first time we saw each other I don´t know every time our eyes meet or we touch each other there´s is this thing in my hand, like a prickle” She pauses, Stiles heart rushes, his eyes opens wide he can almost feel her heartbeat in her arm they´re both tense they he knows it doesn´t have anything to do with being alone in the woods in complete darkness.

“Not a prickle, it’s more like something alive, burning like…”

“Like a spark” He finished stunned. A scream cuts the night and they both jump on their places.

“What the hell was that?” Says Stiles his voice is trembling.

“I don´t know” She whispers terrified.

“Shit, Scott, where is Scott? We need to find him and get out of here” Stiles cries his chest bumping up and down out of control. “Lydia and Jackson, I almost forgot call them Allison we need to get of here” Stiles pokes out his phone to call Scott and Allison does too the light in the device helps his heart to steady, then he see it, two little red lights floating in the dense darkness.

“Allison do you see that?” He says pointing ahead, he won´t touch the Prozac ever again.

“Yeah” She hisses, _good I´m not crazy but them..._ he thinks as the bulbs get bigger and bigger. 

“Stiles it is just me or it´s approaching us?” Allison cries in low voice, the pair of lights were nearer with every second and higher and higher than what they measured, what was that? It has to be on two legs to be that tall, there were bears in there? Impossible, but if it wasn´t a bear then what?  

“Run!” He mutters squeezing her forearm, they start fleeing away from that thing, and then the scariest snarl in the world cuts the air, Goosebumps cover Stiles´ skin, low branches hit them, make them gasp and scream, cut their faces and stick in their clothes, take Stiles by the hem of his shirt and then they stumble and fall on the uneven ground rolling down the steep terrain, a rock hits Stiles in the ribs and his lungs get out of air, he tries to stand when they stop falling the world sways he can´t come up to his feet. 

“Come Stiles” Allison mutters helping him to walk, bit a bit he starts recovering the air, the sounds stopped, the thing isn´t following them anymore, then they see it, light behind the pines.

“We´re in the school again” Allison says relieved.

“Oh god” Stiles gasp as the light starts bathing them, blinding them but they don´t care they´re happy they drop in the grass when they are out of the wood and Stiles breaths in and out recovering his missing air, filling his lungs or so says to himself, but when turns his head toward Allison finds that they´re both sobbing in the ground.

**..........**

Dr. Stilinski was exhausted, gosh he really wanted to get home, and eat whatever Stiles have cooked for him, he has to stop acting like a child and listen to his son, he´s right he has delicate condition and must take care of his health, not just because of him but also for his son, his little quirky son, _god help me_ he thinks, Stiles has been doing his best for so long, he´s been doing the cleaning, the cooking, his studies and he´s smiling yet Mr. Stilinski knows that it´s a lie he knows he just pretends to be fine to not concern him his son is so strong and so vulnerable at the same time he´s tearing apart and Mr. Stilinski is scared he´s not doing enough to makes the things easier for him to heal, he´s a doctor for Christ sake, why he can´t heal his son´s wound´s why he can´t heal his owns? Cleans his forehead and takes his suitcase, walks down the hallway when a pair of nurses pass him running out tugging a gurney while another push him aside carrying a trunked radio.

“In the woods back Beacon Hills high” Says a voice from the radio. “There´s blood everywhere and what´s that?”

“There´s a body”

**..........**

That smell, disgusting stench, Scott wants to throw up, his head spins, he´s dozed, he tosses in the bed and falls from it flicker his eyes open and then lets out a loud cry of horror, it´s over him, it is over him, Scott´s heart pounds hard his hands tremble out of control, he tries to breath, to breath, but he can´t remember how to do it, he´s chocking he can feel it, he´s choking, a lump in his throat his crying and gagging and that coppery smell, his breathless lungs, ball into his throat, the blood, the blood dripping from his bed, from his body and his face. 

 

 


	2. WARNING

II

WARNING

 

Silence, emptiness is all what remains, and a tear strays below the cheek, the snarl, the scream and the fear cold to the bones, and that endless darkness, so thick and broad and loud that´s is almost alive, a heartbeat and a nothing, gasp and sob and silence again and then the blackness is above and below and into him and the red sharp lights.

Stiles startles in his bed taking out the quilt, it was so real so disturbing, every thirty minutes or so it happens, he can´t help it he´s terrified, he comes out of bed the screech of the wood beneath his feet makes him shiver he´s scared he is, yet he´s so tired the last three days have been so rough, nightmares always nightmares with those eyes, at least he´s not crazy he knows that Allison saw them too. Stiles walks toward the bathroom  washes his face look back toward his room, the sun is rising there are still a couple of hours left before school but maybe is better to stay awake again he can´t handle it he´s frightened of sleeping. Stares at his reflection in the mirror the dark shapes beneath his eyes are redder and darken that before he hasn´t sleep at all since they saw that thing whatever it was he needs to go back to his bed, he needs to or else he might get sick and he can´t get his dad concerned about him he can´t, Stiles slides the mirror´s and takes the Prozac held it in his hand he needs to sleep he needs to smile he needs to be normal, Stiles takes a pill and swallows.

**……**

Her scream wakes her up, luckily Allison is in her bed, laying in her nightgown below the blanket she´s fine she´s safe, it was just a bad dream like the other before that one, and the one before, god she´s so tired it is stupid she´s always been so tough, she´s never be afraid of anything, she hates to feel so helpless but it all what happens in her nightmares, she´s a frightened little girl awaiting for those eyes for come, at least she wasn´t crazy Stiles saw them too, she is sure of it they saw them right after she was telling him about that thing she feels in her hand everything they touch or see each other in the hands, that uneasy and uncomfortable feeling, that spark that makes her feel scared and hurt, maybe Stiles could have seem the eyes too but she´s definitely losing her mind.

“Allison?” Her dad´s voice says. Allison slightly moves her head toward the door and finds him staring at her concerned, his lips white they the tension in his jaw.

“Dad” She greets with a fake smile.

“Are you fine honey?” He mutters a crest in his brows.

“Yeah, I´m fine I just had a nightmare that´s all” She explains getting off of bed.

“Well it´s still early” He hints.

“No, I wouldn´t be able to sleep anyway” She affirms getting out of bed, she has to prepare breakfast for him now that he´s already awake, why he´s awake this early anyway? When Allison heads the door to get into the bathroom her father gently takes her chin in his hands at look straight at her eyes, exanimating them, he knows she´s been having sleep troubles but doesn´t know the reason, she can´t tell him that she went out with Stiles without his permission.

**……**

Physics hour is endless, besides the fact the Allison is sitting next to Stiles they don´t exchange glances or anything, haven´t talk much since the rave, just casual things like the wheatear or Harris’s quiz tests but she can see it in his eyes he´s tired no exhausted, and like she he´s afraid of sleeping and go back there into the woods where he´s helpless against the darkness, the cold and those wrathful red eyes.

When the lunch´s hour bell rings Allison startles in her seat and notices that Stiles does too, they´re confused until they understand that their class is already over, she picks up her things and heads to the door, the room is almost empty he joins her in the door and start walking toward the cafeteria. Allison stares at the long line to buy lunch and sighs she´s not angry anyway, luckily there are still many rows of empty tables so she picks one, her arms above, she´s so tired, so dizzy, she flickers and right after Stiles is in front of her carrying to trays of lunch, he puts one next to her, it contains mashed potatoes a steak, a green apple and a coffee mug.

“Stiles” She frowns.

“You need to wake up, we have math in half hour, drink the coffee first” He says politely taking a sip of his cup. “This is stupid” Complains.

“You have been having sleeping troubles too, I know you do” He points out after noticing that Allison keep staring at her plate stunned, She nods confused, Allison can´t recall when was the last time she met someone who cared about her beside her dad.

“This is stupid” She mutters. “I don´t even can´t remember well what happened but everything I close my eyes I…” She cuts herself dry.

“See that thing” Stiles finishes for her, “It’s weird and scary and I´m tired of not sleeping, I have finally started sleeping again after mom´s, but know…”  

“There you are” Lydia´s voice´s says sitting next to them followed by Jackson, who seems a little crestfallen too. “Everyone has been acting weird since the rave”

“Everyone?” Allison and Stiles says at once, why? Has anyone else seem that thing? She´s not too perceptive but hasn´t noticed that there were people beside her and Stiles that were frightened, so she drift her eyes around the cafeteria and see it, many people are sad, not scared, not terrified just sad.

“I don´t know why everybody is making a big deal of it” Lydia says sharply, “No one knew the guy”

“He could have been any of us” Jackson chastise her, “We were all in there, and then he´s dead, slashed, it’s too disturbing, and he has some friends in this school, many of them are right now in his school attending his memorial”

“Wait what do you mean by slashed? Wasn´t it an overdose?” Allison says frowning and notices that Stiles gasps next to her. Jackson looks both sides and then stretches his neck toward them to speak in an almost inaudible voice.

“No, I work in the radio station after school, no because I need the money I just need this town to learn anything about music” He explains.

“No one cares, skip to the butchery part” Lydia says bossily.

 “The guy´s family are really pissed off about the overdose version so they came to the station two days ago to ask to clear up the boy´s name, but my boss said he couldn´t do that”

“Apparently the sheriff has something to do with it”

“What do you mean?” Stiles says gaping.

“My boss told me what happened” “It was an animal, they don´t know which, but it cut the guy´s ankle so he couldn´t ran off and them slashed his throat”

Stiles and Allison exchange glances, it could have been them.

“The cops found the body two hours later and then scariest thing is…”

“Wait a second they didn´t found it right after the rave?” Lydia says scowling, “It means that…”

“He was dead before the party started” Allison finishes.

“Yup, but the scariest thing is that when they found it, the body was intact” He hints with mystery in his voice, Allison hears Stiles gasp and look toward him, there is something in his eyes, he knows what Jackson is talking about, she´s sure of it.

“No other animal was interested in his meat, not even flies, there wasn´t poison in his body or anything else, it´s like the animals respected that the corpse didn´t belonged to them”

“Or maybe they was too scared to even approach” Allison mutters, her lower lips is wobbling.

“I don´t know, but anyway, they cops are right now looking in the woods they even told this guy Brad to stay in a hotel in town while they search, they are doing their best trying to find that thing before it heads to the city” Jackson hisses and Allison´s necks hair stands. “You can´t tell anyone” warms them.  

“Don’t worry they won´t tell anything, look at them they´re already terrified” Lydia chuckles and stares at they both.

“Why are you so frightened anyway?” Jackson frowns and look straight at them.

Allison hesitates, she wants to say that they saw that thing, that she´s terrified that it wasn´t any kind of animal that they have already seem, that it was dangerous, but how could she explain that they didn´t actually seen it, that it was just it eyes, but was enough to give her the three most scariest nights in her life, who could she explain that she just wants her dad to finish the building to leave the town and never come back and that she feels so guilty for not listening to her him and attending the party.  

“We saw it” Stiles murmurs, and Allison´s hearts skip a beat.

“What do you mean?” Lydia arches her brows.

“I… I mean… us” Stiles tries to say.

“It wasn´t like any kind of animal that can be found in Beacon Hills” Allison startles after finding out that those words actually came out of her mouth, they haven´t talk about it yet but she can see in Stiles eyes that he confirms her statement, it wasn´t like any other animal they have seem in zoos, neither TV.

“Or anywhere else” Stiles trails off his eyes distant, he´s seeing it again Allison is sure of it and shudder just to think about it.

“What do you mean?” Jackson asks and his eyes are shining now with greed. “Do you mean you saw the Bigfoot?”

“No… definitely no” Allison waves away and Stiles and her chuckles.

“But it was a humanoid doesn´t it?” Lydia says looking at both stunned and Stiles nods absently.

“This can be the story of the year, for the first time in ages something actually happens in this forsaken town” Jackson says excitedly, Allison is not sure if he´s mocking on them but after examining his expression she confirms that he believes them, and the rest the school wants to know what it is, because then she notices everyone is staring at them shocked except for Isaac, the boy with the bluish eyes that cut Allison´s and Scott chatting the other day, he´s not looking at them the same way the others, instead of watching at their table as if they were crazy he´s scrutinizing them to be more specific her, or Stiles she´s not sure which of them but his eyes don´t miss a movement of their lips as if he could read them because definitely he´s unable to heard them considering how far they are from him.

“We have to go to the woods after school, I´ll bring my camera” Jackson says and there is again the greed in his eyes.

“No way” Lydia denies shocked.

“Don´t count on me, gotta help Scott with his classes” Stiles explains continuing with his eating, and then Allison recalls, she haven´t eat at all so she takes a sip of her coffee and a spoonful of the smashes potatoes but them she regrets it, she dizzy, exhausted, frightened and gagging.

“Do you guys wanna my lunch? I think I´m gonna throw up” She says taking another sip of coffee to calm her stomach.

“Don´t look at me I´m vegan” Jackson says with disgust.

“You need to eat anything, you feel sick because you haven’t” Stiles explains taking the apple from the tray and offering it to her. “Eat” almost orders, Allison hesitates and takes it, when their fingers touch the _spark_ hits them again, they both look at each other gaping but quickly wave the thought away, Allison bites the apple, the sweet and acid juicy streams down the corner of her lips then she swallows hard and smiles he´s right.

“How´s Scott anyway?” She asks.

 “He´s better, my dad blames the coach, he told him that maybe he should leave the team but Scott doesn´t want to hear about it” Stiles says with concern and the bells rings again and they to go back class.

**……**

Melissa was getting tired of being in the sheriff office doing paperwork, how many years she has been there doing nothing? And all because of Carl, that bastard, if she would have been a little stronger if would have being braver Scott wouldn´t have suffered that much and she wouldn´t be ridiculed by her team, the sheriff and the whole town, That´s why when her boss offered her to join the search party in the woods she haven´t think twice, they´re now looking for the creature, in complete silence her gun in hand in case she has to fire to whatever it is causing so much trouble in the woods, many of the her team thinks it is a wildcat but that doesn´t make any sense to her, the cuts in the boy´s and the deer, the claws that jabbed their skin must be gigantic it is frightening and thrilling at the same time if she´s the one catching the best she might be promoted to detective she´s sure of it.

She pass rows and rows of trees at some points they are so thick that even now in autumn so spots are so dark that she needs her flashlight, god how mad were those boys, doing a party in there in the middle of the night, what the hell were they thinking? Luckily Scott was sick at home or else he could have go in there and end… She can´t even think about it, nothing happened that what really imports to her. When she reaches the cliff before the lake decides to walk back until she finds a shadow five hundred feet at her right, her heart skip a beat, her hand reaches the radio but then she think twice if she do it herself if she… Melissa moves a slow pace but not to slow to let it scape, until she hears a stick creaks and the shadow moves again, she hurls up chasing it, squinting until she finds out that it’s a human form that walks away from her.

“Police! Please stop” She says and the shadow obey, is looking at the back of a man with a green wool coat, short brown hair, when he turns to meet her she see a man of 40 maybe more with bottle green eyes that…

“Longshot?” Melissa hisses stunned, as he squints at her.

“Mel?” Chris Argent gasps shocked.

“Oh my god! When you came back?” She says approaching him.

“A few weeks ago” He says ashamed.

“And you haven´t stopped by home to say hi” She chastise him.

“Um… I´m sorry I´ve been too busy with a construction and so other things” He replies blushing.

“You´re a terrible friend, Stilinski is back too” She smirks.

“He left?” Chris frowns.

“Oh, you didn´t heard?” Melissa frowns.

“What?” Chris Argent´s face get pale.

“Alice died” Melissa mutters with resentment.

“Oh my god” He grimaces, “How did she?”

“Cancer” Melissa says hoarsely and then she reminds what´s she doing in there in the first place.

“Oh my god! You can´t be here, we´re tracking a creature that´s being murdering deer” She hurries to say. “It’s not safe being in here” Chris look at her confused, at her gun and then look at his back as if maybe the creature were behind him.

“I you sure you don´t want company?” He asks arching a brow and she smiles.

“Maybe for dinner” She hints.

“Your place?” He asks grinning.

“Yeah I can make pasta, now go if you don´t want to lose your head in hands of a psycho cat” She chuckles.

“Whatever you say officer” Chris grins once more and heads out of the woods.

**…….**

Allison stands after her final class, she´s been more bored than usual luckily she had been able to sleep a bit because Mrs. Greenberg is usually very absent in class, she constantly forgets what´s she´s doing so have to restart the whole lesson, and Allison just fell asleep without noticing and fortunately no nightmares haunted her this time. She takes her backpack and heads the crowded door, why her dad have to work in the afternoons? She hates taking the bus with the freshmen, why her dad can´t get her a car? She´s not being whimsical about it, they have enough money and she doesn´t need an expensive one just four tires and a steering wheel, maybe she can ask Stiles to give her a ride, she needs to talk to him anyway, ask him what was all that nodding when Lydia asked about the humanoid shape of the animal, they didn´t actually see it just its eyes but something inside her thinks he´s right that maybe it has human shape after all that´s the only way to explain how tall it was. He spots him yawning in addressing the door.

“Stiles” She hisses.

“Oh he Allison” He says a little groggy he has been sleeping too in class.

“I was wondering if you maybe…” She starts.

“There you are” Lydia says standing before them. “Look what I´ve found”

Allison and Stiles stare at Lydia´s hands which are holding an old yearbook, it´s blue with silver letters _Beacon Hill´s high 1978_ , Allison stares back at Lydia confused.

“Sometimes the girls and I help cleaning the old classrooms to make the work easier for the janitor so a couple hours ago I got some girls to help me clean up a little and they found this, and we opened it to laugh a little about the haircuts and then…” Lydia opens the book the bottom facing Allison, the sheets flies before her eyes, clubs, teams, random people, and funny haircuts and outfits, she can´t help but chuckle, then when Lydia stops Allison gasps covering her mouth with her hand.

“Those are my parents” She says, thought they look so much younger in the picture Allison recognizes them right away, they both laugh at the camera holding each other, her mother even though have that hilarious hair she is still as beautiful as Allison recalled her, auburn hair, long lashes and red lips, her cheeks Allison loved her mother´s cheeks pinky and rounded.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw it” Lydia continues.

“Why? Didn´t I told you my family used to live here?” Allison frowns.  

“No” Lydia shakes her head, “Your dad is longshot Argent”

“Who?” Stiles says confused.

“Longshot Argent” Lydia repeats, “When the school still had budget for the archery team your dad was the best of the best, they said he could hit a penny with an arrow at 500 feet away”

“My dad?” Allison frowns, “He can´t cut a carrot without taking part of his thumb” Chuckles.

“But that´s his name below doesn´t?” Lydia points below the picture and Allison reads _Archery Team 1978_ and among the names she finds Christopher Argent and beneath it is the handwritten word _longshot_. When Allison detaches her face from the year book Stiles gasps.

“Stiles?” Allison frowns looking at him, his eyes are wide his mouth a big gap.

“My parents are there too” He mutters.

“Where?” Allison asks, both she and Lydia scan the archery team picture but they are unable to find anyone alike them or the last name Stilinski in it.

“There” Stiles says pointing at the picture below, then both girls stare at the chemistry´s club picture and in seconds they found stiles parents.

“Oh my god your mom is so beautiful” Allison says looking at the picture and them at him.

“You look so much like her” Lydia smiles at Stiles but Allison sees the dark shades in his eyes as he struggle to smirk.

Allison puts her eyes back, Stiles´ mom was a short and skinny woman, the same brown eyes that her son has, pale skin with soft coral shapes in her cheeks, long straight hair to her waist, she is surrounded by two men with glasses, one white and short straw hair, and green eyes, the other is a black boy with wide smile carrying a books some of biology, other with and odd symbol that Allison thinks must be about old runes, physics, chemistry, math, and yet he has enough space in his broad arms to hold Stiles´ mom hand while they were taking the picture.

“So our parents met at high school” Allison grins at Stiles.

“Do you guys mind if I keep it?” Stiles asks eyes still on the photograph, both girls nods with a smile.  

“So you wanna try?” Lydia hints and Allison and Stiles frowns at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Well if you can shoot like your dad” Lydia explains, “I think I song so old bows somewhere in that classroom”

“Um….I don’t know I´m just good with Martials” Allison explains.

“You know self-defense?” Stiles squints at her as if it was the first time he was looking at her.

“Yeah why?” She asks casually until she understands, why she didn´t used in the woods? What was all that about defending the weak? Allison is so ashamed right now, but how she could? It was dark and they didn´t know what they were facing, but must admit that the first reason is that she was too scared to do anything, and what her dad taught her was just for fun not to hit terrifying creatures in the woods in the middle of the night.

 Before Allison notices they are following Lydia down the corridors, how many always they have already passed? The school was bigger than Allison though and now they were landing and in an area that seems abandoned, there is dust, is a little dark, the only light is a flickering one before the room Lydia is guiding them.

“What is this place?” Allison asks.

“Is the old school” Stiles explains and Allison stares at him shocked, then she recalls he used to live there until not so long.

“They´re thinking about upgrade them” Lydia explains. “So the rest of the cheerios and I´ve been cleaning since two days ago, come” says and opens the door, they enter in a small room covered with dust and spider-webs all over, it has just a brown desk and a chair, behind it is a long wood locker, Lydia approaches it.

“I knew I´ve seen them somewhere” Lydia cries excitedly opening the locker, Allison´s heart skips a beat, her father had a nickname she didn´t hear of before, he is and archer and know how to shoots arrows like anyone else or at least he did once, why he never told her, archery sounds so much fun, they could have practiced it instead of spending all Sundays for the past ten years watching horror movies, then she recalls the picture it was something he used to do with her mom, it was after all the time they met and fell in love, maybe it was too painful for him to talk about it, suddenly Allison ends up convincing herself that it is a bad idea. Lydia slides open the locker and the door behind them knocks, Allison jumps on her feet grip Stiles´ arm, they all turn their necks toward the door across the ajar they see a glimpse of golden hair and then she recognizes Isaac´s face looking at them suspiciously, his eyes fixed on Lydia then swift straight to her and Stiles.

“What are you guys doing here?” He asks, his voice soft and gentle his eyes stern and still on them.

“Hey Pete” Lydia says with a smirk, “Just came to take some things before they demolish all the place” explains.

“But what?” He starts confused. “Never mind, I just wanted to talk to you in private” Says.

“Oh, ok no problem I just have to…” Lydia is saying when he stops her.

“I wasn´t talking about you” He says without looking at her and then Allison recalls the lunch hour in the cafeteria. Stiles has a crest in his brows.

“Just a minute” Isaac says, Stiles walks outside the room as confused as them.

“What was all that?” Lydia ask frowning.

“I don´t know maybe he wants to know how´s Scott” Allison says thoughtful.

“Oh, yeah, well should visit him later” Lydia suggest at the time opens again the locker´s door and takes a long wood bow and a quiver and stares at Allison. “Are you ready” Says excited.

“This is stupid Lydia, I haven´t seem a real bow in my life” Allison chuckles.

“Come on it´s gonna be fun” Lydia replies handling her the quiver, it has ten long blackwood arrows crowned at the end with feathers in the other edge is a sharp silver head Allison stares at it amazed it glimpses and she smirks, looks back at Lydia as she offers her the bow, Allison takes it and it is lighter and longer than what she was expecting, the wood is slim and curved it centers a little bolder with an arrow shelf comfortable at grip, the string seems weak yet it is strong when Allison tries it´s elasticity. A thrill run through her body waking her up she wants to shot an arrow.

“Ready?” Lydia asks with a smile, Allison nods and her friend wave her to follow, when they open the door find the hallway empty, where Stiles and Isaac are? Instead to walk back their steps Lydia guides her down the corridor where there are rusty double doors like the ones at the entrance, Lydia opens it a Allison walks outside with her, suddenly they´re facing the woods, Allison swallows and suddenly she and Stiles and her are running in the darkness for their lives.

“Lydia, maybe it isn´t a good idea” Allison starts.

“Come one, don´t be silly it´s daylight” Lydia tries to calm her.

“Lydia it isn´t a ghost” Allison reproaches with a smirk, her hands grip tight the handle of the bow and she press her lips together. They walk to the line and cross, Allison thought that the next time she entered the woods she might have a panic attack but the truth is that she´s not as frightened as she thought, Lydia is right nothing would show up in daylight and if it do they would finally see that it is just a deer or something, but the dead boy….

“Here” Lydia says approaching an ascent where are piles of rocks then she shoves her hand in her pockets and takes a penny.

“You´re kidding” Allison glares at her.

“Let´s try, it will be fun I´m tired of waiting for Jackson while he´s in practice” Lydia complains as she puts the coin on its side on top of a plain rock and walk back to Allison, then they walk back, Allison counts the steps and hers Lydia murmuring something she´s really calculating 500 feet, that´s ridiculous she´s not even able to see the coin anymore and she´s sure they´re just 100 feet away more or less yet Lydia keeps muttering for herself as they walks until she stops a takes an arrow from Allison´s back and marks a pine behind them.

“Here, this is the place” She says excitedly, Allison glares at her but Lydia ignores her. “Come on do it” Encourages her. Allison breaths out powerless, they had to get out of there quickly if the police finds them in there they might get in trouble so Allison takes an arrow from the quiver, breaths in placing it between the handle and the string between her index and middle finger pulls back and squint toward the rock long away and high in the terrain, then she breaths out and shots.

**…….**

Stiles steps inside the classroom Isaac indicated him, his heart rushing, he feels like he´s about to get his ass kicked, he breaths in before Isaac comes inside and looks through the door ajar hoping Allison and Lydia followed them, but they didn´t. they all alone are inside an old classroom covered by deep layers of dust, the tiles are almost invisible for his eyes with every step he takes a big cloud rises and covers him, Stiles sneezes loudly and more and more dust lifts until he stumbles with a desk and falls to the ground, then stands embarrassed the dirt all over his face and hair, he´s nose prickling once more he´s about to sneeze again when he feel a hand covering half his face.

“Cheers” Isaac mutters and releases Stiles.

“Thank you” He says calming down while the guy wipes the dust out of his head.

“You are a mess” Isaac laughs while he takes the dust out of him, and Stiles´ cheeks burns, when he ends up he rises a hand and place it in the wall next to Stiles´ face, he´s trapped, he swallows.

“What´s that?” Asks taking the yearbook from Stiles´ hands his index finger still in the chemistry’s club page, he tries to hold it back but he takes it anyway, Isaac look at the pictures and a devilish smile curves the corner of the straight line of his pressed lips, then scoffs, what he´s looking at?

“This is your mom?” Asks frowning, Stiles nod. “She is beautiful”

“I know” Stiles replies sharply, his mother was beautiful _was._

“You have her eyes” Mumbles and stares at his eyes handling him the yearbook back.

“I´m Isaac by the way” Mutters with a brief smile his eyes fixed straight in him as if he were trying to find something.

“Um… Yeah I know” Stiles scoffs, Isaac frowns.

“Do you?” Says scowling, “What´s your name?

“I´m Sti…”

Can I call you monkey?”

Stiles chokes after hearing that and glares at him.

“What? Why monkey? No, I have just one nickname and it is Stiles” He grunts.  

Isaac looks up to the ceiling scratching his chin with his free hand like if he were considering an offer.

“I don´t know, I don´t like Stiles, and you´re short and clumsy and funny… like a monkey” Isaac says chuckling at Stiles stares at him stunned, what the hell is all that?

“Well monkey, I couldn´t help noticing that you and Scott are…close…” He lets out sternly at the end of the sentence.

“Yeah he´s my best friend” Stiles says casually.

“How is he?” Isaac asks, Stiles is hoping to see him happy to know that Scott is homesick so he can be the captain a little longer but he doesn´t get that look, actually he seems really worried.  

“He´s fine, he´ll be back in school in a couple of days” Explains passing below Isaac´s arm to walk straight to the door but then he feels a hard grip in his shirt that takes him back to his place against the wall, Isaac eyes fixed on his, leaning close to him.

“I heard what you were planning in lunch, about getting into the woods” Mutters in deep voice and Stiles heart pounds hard against his ribs. 

“No you didn´t” Stiles challenges.

“Yes I did” Isaac says harshly.

“No you couldn´t you were like a half…”

“I heard you monkey, enough” He cuts. “Look, the wood is a dangerous place right now, you don´t want to get hurt don´t you?” He mumbles with sharp eyes on the boy and Stiles feels a shiver running down his spine.  

“But I didn´t even…”

“Just… stay out of trouble ok? I don´t want you to get hurt” He says gently his eyes softening, Stiles can see his concern in them, but why? And his hand is still tightly gripping his shirt´s neck almost furiously, then Isaac takes a deep breath over his face and lets him go, gracefully walking toward the door.

“Wait” Stiles stops him shocked.

“What?” Isaac asks tilting his head back to look at him.  

“You were threatening or flirting with me?” Stiles says chuckling, he just couldn´t menace him that gently. Isaac stares at him grimacing for half a second with a thoughtful expression.

“Choose one” Says with a smirk before leaving the classroom.

**.......**

The ring bells and Scott roll his eyes, he´s bed is warm he doesn´t want to get out of it, he´s almost nude below the blanket and the autumn air is so crisp outside, the bell rings once more and he damns, gets out of bed shivering only wearing a pair of socks and his underwear, heads the drawers to take a shirt and a pants, it´s almost empty most of the cloths doesn´t fit him anymore with his mom being busy at work and him sick the house was a total mess, Scott looks around the room trying to find his team´s shirt but can´t find it, the ring buzzes and he spot a pair of pants from the chair in from of his desk shoves his feet and walks downstairs, when he opens the door he finds himself facing a guy, that guy he knew him from somewhere.

“Hey Scott” He grins at him, and then he recalls a short part of the party, he´s Isaac´s friend what was his name?

“Do you remember me? I´m Derek” The guy says and the Scott nods, how he could blackout that way in the rave? He didn´t took a drop of alcohol yet he´s unable to recall most of the night, or even how he ended up in the woods in the first place.

“Yeah, sorry, I´m just a little dizzy that´s all” Scott excuses, “So, what´s up dude?

“Um I just heard that you were sick and recall that your game is a few days away”

“Yeah, the coach found the way to delayed a while until I´m getting better”

“He must have his odds on you” Derek points out and Scott blushes.

“Yeah I think”

“Anyway, I came by because Isaac told me that you where nose bleeding for exceeding with the training” Explains.

“Yeah my doctor says so” Scott recalls the moment he woke up covered in blood he was shocked he cried, cried so hard and when his mother found him, he really thought that the blood was someone else´s he really thought, he still can´t believe how relief he feels that it was his blood that it was his.

“So I brought this to you, see it used to happen to me too” Derek explains

“Really?” He wasn´t aware of how common it was, was it? 

“Yeah, all the time our coach was an ass too and most of us ended up in the hospital by end of season for bleeding in the games” Derek snorts and takes out of his leather jacket a bottle with a dense and purplish liquid inside with some pieces that seemed like roots and leaves from god knows which plants.

“What´s that?” Asks.

“Just something I found in internet when I was still playing, it help me survive the games and training” Derek says handling it to him Scott hesitates and takes the bottle in his hands it is hot.

“It doesn´t contain alcohol doesn´t it? Because I might get kick out of the team” Says warily

“Don´t worry it’s just plants, it will help to feel better” Derek says eyes fixed on him, there´s something fishy about it he doesn´t know why but he feels like he´s lying to him.

“See” Derek takes the bottle from his hand and take a sip from.

“It doesn´t taste as bad as it looks, and I still take it sometimes it helps my endurance” Smirks and gives him the bottle.

“I gotta go now, but if you want to make it effective take at least to glass any day” Says offering him his hands to shake his.

“Good luck at the game” says and heads off.

**……**

Stiles heads back into the archery´s storage and finds it empty, where could Allison and Lydia be? He thought that maybe if they weren´t to follow him and Isaac at least could wait for him _worst friends ever_ , he turns back to the door and then he recalls they were talking about getting Allison into practicing with a real bow, that was the reason they were there in the first place they wouldn´t definitely go without trying it, it sounds awesome after all but were they could be practicing? The surrounding ancient classroom are abandoned, closed or too short, maybe they are in the Lacrosse field, no they can´t the team is in there, then they are… No that is stupid Allison wouldn´t get back in the woods after all what happened to them or could she? Maybe she is braver than he thinks, maybe he´s freaking out because she´s braver than him.

Stiles looks around the hall and then finds a door at them half open, was it that way when they came there? He approaches the door, thought the gap he can spot some trees so yeah they´re in the woods _smart Allison, smart_ , he complains to himself, maybe he should get back and leave them there, but he can´t do that they might waiting for him so he gets out of the door and hesitates a second before entering, to his surprise he´s not wailing or fleeing, the woods aren´t scary in daylight, that´s what upset him most of the rave´s night, he used to go into the woods with Scott all the time when they were younger, he never was afraid, but now, now is different he can´t let a random god knows what take that from him, Stiles keeps walking and them hears Lydia´s voice a few feet ahead so keeps walking getting used to the sticks creaking beneath his feet until he finds them in a glade, Allison aiming to a rock hundreds of feet away from them.

“What are you doing?” He asks and Allison lets out a cry, her arrow flying from her grip and hitting the ground lamely not long from her, she reach the quiver in her shoulder with her right hand, probably trying to get another arrow but it´s empty, she desists and looks at him.

“I thought I could do it” She says with anger, seems frustrated, sweat dripping from her forehead. “See? I told you I couldn´t”

“Come one, don´t be so hard with yourself, this is the first time you ever try a bow” Lydia says consoling.

“She´s right, I´m sure they didn´t name your dad longshot in the first day” Stiles assures.

“It´s not like I´m doing it again anyway” She says as she picking the arrows from the floor, yet Stiles is able to see a gleam in her eyes, they shine she fells frustrated but encouraged, he smirks.

“You´re going to see Scott?” Lydia asks helping Allison get the remaining arrows.

“Yeah why?”

“Can we go with you? I´m tired of waiting for Jackson after practice” complains.

“And I would like to see how´s he doing” Allison hisses and her dimples get marked by a slight smile.

“Yeah Sure” Lydia scoffs putting the last arrow in the quiver and they start walking back school”

“What Isaac wanted by the way?” Lydia asks frowning, Stiles miss a step and rolls down spitting leaves as he stands.

“I… I´m not sure, I think warm me” He says.

“About what?” Allison gasps.

“I don´t know he said we shouldn´t get into the woods” Stiles explains doubtful.

“He heard us talking in lunch?” Lydia asks stunned.

“Impossible he was too far away” Allison points out.

“Then someone else must have heard and told him” Lydia adds. “But why he´s interested anyway?”

“Because maybe he knows what´s hidden inside the woods” Allison murmurs. And Stiles realizes, she´s right how he couldn´t see it before while Isaac was warning him? Stiles gaps Isaac knows about the thing in the woods and whatever it might be, he doesn´t want them to find out

**…...**

Allison feels like a robber when Stiles stops his jeep´s engine in front of a house downtown near school, they get down and without knocking the door he just opens it. Allison hesitates when he beckons to them to follow him, she´s not used to visit friends or host people in her house, she and her dad had always been so shut-in just them, of course that now Allison knows that her dad kept things even from her, don´t telling her about his nickname and its meaning, he didn´t kill anyone though, maybe she´s overreacting she´s just hurt from not telling her, no for no teaching her, it was so fun, even though she couldn´t shot straight a single arrow she felt happy, and strong and eerily comfortable, maybe because it is in her blood that thing, that… _spark?_ That tells her who she is and what she´s capable of even though she definitely sucks in archery, but she can learn right? She can. She blinks, she doesn´t remember getting into the house but her forearm aches so Lydia probably dragged her in, they are now on a wooden floor in the house´s second story it´s a hallway not much to say lime wallpaper yellow skirting they are in front of a white door, Stiles doesn´t knocks just tugs it in and steps inside.

“Hey dude” He greets as he waves them to get in, Lydia and she get inside the narrow bedroom when she hears a gasp and then stop Scott sitting onto a unmade bed shirtless staring at her, his amber eyes´ pupils dilated as he hasn´t seen sunlight for a while.

“Wha… wha… Stiles why you didn´t tell me we would have company?” He chastises with a glare at his friend then swifts his eyes back to her gentle and unease now, she feels her stomach empty her heart in her ears, and manage to smile at him, he´s, the way he looks at her it’s so…   

“You´re so lucky you didn´t have to attend Mrs. Greenberg´s class today” Stiles complains as he sits next to him getting his notebook in his lap.

“Scott?”

Allison blinks and hits reality, she´s has been unconsciously staring straight at his eyes, how embarrassing.

“Stiles? Did you bring your chemistry notes?” Lydia suddenly says.

“Yeah why?”

“I need you to explain me something” She says with a voice tune that alerts Allison.

“Me? But you´re the smartest gir…” He starts and then moans like a wounded animal, probably Lydia hit him in the shin because when he´s stands there is this limp in his walking as he approaches her in the desk.

“Um… I...” Allison smiles, she can feel her cheeks burning below, “I think I could help you with your homework if you need”

Scott silently nods and make room for her next to him, Allison takes out her backpack and neatly sits next to him, feeling the blood running every inch of her body, he can feel it, can feel Stiles and Lydia´s eyes on her, like if they planned that, she hates them, they´re so childish, she blushes.

“You have work in your history´s essay?” He asks, his voice a whisper.

“Um... yeah, I did it yesterday” She says relaxing her cheek´s muscles.

“You would mind to checkup mine? The coach is concerned about my grades and he´s being a little stubborn about it” He mutters ashamed.

“Of course, no problem” She replies politely, as he takes his laptop from the bedside table and handles it to her, it has and open document with some pages speaking about renaissance, she starts reading in silence, then feels the air being displace from back, and she knows it, he´s just a few inches behind her, she can fee his breath trickling her shoulder blades, it´s moist and warm, distracting, and Lydia´s and Stiles staring at her, she´s going to kill them, she´s going to learn how to shot an arrow properly and then they´re gonna regret it, she wants to grunt, no growl at them like an animal, specially Scott and his mint breath that doesn´t let her concentrate she´s being reading the first paragraph over and over the past fifteen minutes, then it happens, the snarl, the growl the cry and moan of her stomach, and then she recalls she haven´t ate in the whole but the apple Stiles got her for lunch.

“Oh my god I´m so sorry” She says wishing she could dig a hole and hide forever but they´re in a second story after all, their eyes, if she was being paranoid before well she isn´t know, they´re definitely watching at her, Allison closes her eyes tilts down her face.

“Don´t be” Scott says unease, why he´s ashamed anyway?  

“I told you to eat” Stiles says with a snicker.

“He did” Lydia agrees.

“Don´t worry, I can cook for you, I…. I…would you like a sandwich?” Scott offers, and Allison blushes why she can´t just die?

“No… you´re sick, you must rest” She says biting her lower lip.

“I´m fine” Scott chuckles. “I´ve been fine for days now I don´t get why Mr. S doesn´t let me go school yet” complains as he stands, “Come on I´ll cook something for you” Says with a smile taking her by the hand to guide her downstairs, Allison stands a follows him, what´s she doing? She doesn’t know that guy at all just that night in the woods but her stomach is trickling, trickling harder, she´s hungry, or maybe… it is something else.

**……**

“They´re gone” Lydia points out, at the time her mobile phone rings. She picks the call and starts talking, argues with the person who call her, probably Jackson, but Stiles can´t pay attention about what she´s saying he´s too busy staring at her red painted lips, as the way the move with every word she says or yells he´s not quite sure, there´s only buzzing in his ear, the lower bounces with every word, her perfect denture sweeps her pink tongue as it touch her mouth, then she shuts the call.

“He´s an asshole” She says sharply.

“What happened?” Stiles asks.

“He´s angry because I didn´t wait for him” She breaths out.

“He´s already out? What time is it?” Stiles stands on he´s feet.

“5 o´clock” Lydia adds casually,

  _good it´s not too late_ , he have to make dinner, at that moment he gets a text from his dad, “It´s Thursday, meet you there at seven” he knows what it means, they used to go to the same restaurant on Thursday and ask for a pizza, the owners were friends with his grandparents so they used to give them extra chees and salami in their other, then they get back home and they watched a movie, but his dad has double shift tonight so he might stay just for dinner, so why to bother to drive there? And then he understands the reason, why to not bother?

“Stiles?” Lydia says and he gets back to reality.

“Anyway he stills wants to go to the wood” 

“What? No!” Stiles says shocked. “I told you Isaac doesn´t wants us there”

“So what he doesn´t own the woods or anything” Lydia frowns. “Maybe there´s isn´t any Bigfoot or whatever maybe it´s just Isaac disguised trying to scare people” She chuckles.

“Why he would do that?” Stiles arches his brow, “It doesn´t have sense”

“It´s almost Halloween Stiles, people act like crazy in this season”

“So you think he´s the one killing people?” Stiles asks and shiver, Isaac doesn´t look like a serial killer, he´s a teenager for Christ sake, he can´t be, but then how he knows?

“I don´t care I have to go anyway, Jackson it´s really pissed off because I didn´t tell him I was coming over, he´s a total jerk” She scoffs. “Wanna check if they´re making out already?” Asks mischievously. They walk down the stairs, and sneak to the dinner room from where they stare toward the kitchen hiding behind a wall, Allison is sitting in the table before the oven eating a sandwich listening to Scott who suddenly started rambling, he´s nervous Stiles smirks.

“No you don´t want to hear it” He says with a brief smile.

“Why not?” Allison frowns.

“It´s kinda disgusting, and you´re eating” He says in a mutter.

“Oh don’t worry, I live alone with my dad and he loves horror movies, I´m used to blood” She smiles at him, bat her eyes, her long lashes touch and her eyes shine when she opens them again, Scott bits his lips as he wants so say something, and Allison might think he wants a taste because she offers him a bite, and he slightly stands, the meet their eyes they stare at each other for seconds and Stiles can feel Lydia struggling to not burst in laughs, then the sandwich slides down from Allison´s hand onto the plate and they but startle getting back to their places.

“It´s just that, I took a sip and felt like the blood was about to coming out again, but after a second I felt really good”

“So he wasn´t lying after all” Allison points out.

“Yeah, I mean Derek it´s a cool guy but you can´t trust in strangers right? So I wasn´t sure about it”

“Derek?” Stiles mutters but not low enough because seconds later Scott is standing before them.

“Stiles what are you doing there?” Scott asks frowning, Allison killing him and Lydia with her gaze.

“Um… We were hungry too” He trails off. “Anyway, you´re friend with that Brad guy?” Stiles frowns.

“Yeah so what?” Scott says confused.

“I don´t know Scott, I don’t like that guy, he´s kinda creepy and you say he brought you alcohol or something?”

“No, it´s just medicine” Scott contradicts.

“Did my dad told you that you need medicine?” Stiles frowns knowing the answer beforehand.

“No but… I want to feel fine Stiles, I want to play in the game I´m the captain I can´t be sick” He complains.

“Um… guys I have to go… Jackson is already at his home getting ready for tonight´s hike” Lydia says standing before them.

“Hike?” Allison says suspiciously

“Yeah, we´re going to shoot our paranormal activity porn video tonight in the woods” She scoffs.

“You´re seriously planning on searching for that thing?” Allison inquires with anger.

“Yeah, just because you two are too scared to go doesn´t mean we´re not coming”

“What are you talking about?” Scott asks.

“Jackson wants to take a footage of the thing in the woods” Stiles explains and his stomach jumps in his stomach.

“Come on, don´t be such a pussy, if you don´t go and find what it is you´ll live afraid forever” Lydia points out, Stiles swifts his eyes toward Allison and she has the same look that he probably has, maybe, maybe Lydia is right how long they would be bearing it? Wouldn´t enter in the woods anymore? And what for? Because of some deer? 

“You can´t go if my mom catches you if you´ll get in trouble” Scott advices.

“She won´t know because you´re not gonna tell her right?” Lydia says. “Anyway it will be just half an hour probably, Jackson will get bored and then we´ll go after a pizza, it´s almost dinner anyway”

Allison stumbles on her seat.

“What? My dad is gonna be at home anytime” She says her lip wobbling.

**…….**

Luckily Stiles can drive fast when it´s needed so, in ten minutes Allison is getting down his jeep, twenty more later her dad is opening the front door, the chops are already fried and the vegetables cooked, Allison sighs, takes a plate from the pantry and starts pouring the sauce, but her dad instead of walking into the kitchen jogs upstairs taking out his cot.

“Dad?” Allison ask frowning.

“Yeah honey?” His muffled voice says from the shower.

“Have to work late night?”

“Um... No” 

She sits onto his beige quilt while she awaits for him to get out of the bathroom, when he does she notices he have shaved.

“Oh my god you have a date” She says standing.

“Um… Allison…” He starts. “It´s not a date, I´m just dinning with an old friend, that´s all”

“Is she coming over? I haven´t cooked enough” She says biting her lower lip, “Maybe if…”

“Allison” Her dad tries to calm her.

“It´s not a date, and no one is coming over, I just need to hang out, forget about work, I´m sorry I should have tell you before, think I just forgot about it”

He addresses the drawers and picks a shirt and a pair of pants, too casual for him, _he´s totally messing it out_.

“Dad, it´s fine” She says with a smile.

“It´s been 10 years already, I totally understand, I really do” She smirks once more even though she´s feeling a little sad inside, but she must understand, she have to understand that her needs someone in his life besides her, and isn´t this what she wanted after all?

“Thanks honey” He says hoarsely.

“But is not a date”

Allison chuckles and gets out of the room at the time her phone starts ringing.

**……**

Someone knocks the door, hasn´t his dad told him to wait for him in the restaurant? Stiles finishes wiping the plate and jogs toward the door, and there before him is Jackson and then he understands what is going on.

“Jackson” He gasps.

“What?” He frowns at him.

“What are you doing here?”

“We came to encourage you” The guy say and Stiles looks behind him at the entrance, from his Volvo´s windows he spots Allison and Lydia waving at him.

“Allison?” He mutter, _you traitor_

“Come one” Jackson says, “Don´t you wanna lose your fear to the coyote that you guys probably saw in the woods?”

“Ah coyote? Really?” Stiles frowns. “Do you get that coyote’s doesn´t….”

“Just get your ass to the woods and everything is gonna be fine” Jackson says as he roll his eyes.

“Fine” Stiles grunts taking his keys out of his pocket, as Jackson walks back toward his car, before getting into his jeep Stiles walks toward them.

“If we die in the woods I´m gonna make sure none of you rest in the afterlife” Says with a glare striding toward his car, can´t believe Allison actually went, maybe that´s the reason that piss him more, he has to go to not look like a coward and because he doesn´t want her to get hurt, maybe he should tell Scott to go with them, but he need to rest and if they get caught by the police his mom would get in trouble because of him.

**……**

“Longshot you came” Melissa says as she step aside to let him in, she takes his coat at let it in the rack.

“How are you?” She asks.

“I´m fine, what about you?” He replies as he handles her a bottle of wine.

“Just fine, finally got a real case” Complains. “Where Allison? Why didn´t you bring her?” 

 “She´s at a friend´s house studying” He explains, he sits and Melissa walks into the kitchen to take the pasta, maybe she call Scott to sit with them, he must be feeling better by now, but she doesn´t want to push him, he´s been having a hard time with school, getting sick and being the captain maybe she just let him rest, in other hand she could call Stiles and his dad to join them, it must be hard for the boy to cook for his dad every day, she takes the phone and calls to the hospital, a nurse picks the call and when she asks for Doctor Stilinski she says he´s out for dinner, Melissa walks toward the window and glance at Stilinski´s place, all lights are turned off, maybe they are having dinner outside, Melissa takes the plates and starts serving a dinner for two and sighs.

**…….**

They step inside at the same time, all lights out so Jackson turns up the light of his camera, instantly a spot in the woods gets bright, Stiles feels a wave on anxiety taking over him, looks at Allison in the dim reflected light and knows she´s not feeling better than him, _this is a bad idea_.

“This is Jackson Whittemore” Jackson says pointing the camera at his face. “And tonight we´re looking for Bigfoot, Yeti, or whatever is making this city a little more interesting” Snorts.

“Is not funny” Stiles mutters, they start walking toward the place where Allison and him saw the eyes for the first time, the cold wind blows making them shiver, a whistle that gives Goosebumps, _it’s all right_ he mutters for himself, Stiles just concentrates in keep walking it was going to be over soon Jackson would get bored and won´t be afraid of look like a coward in front of his friends, his friends, where the hell were his friends?

“Allison” He says loud but not much. “Lydia! Jackson!” How the hell they split apart? He´s starting to think that the woods are alive that they shift every time they´re there, he´s blind once more like that day, his pulse accelerates, the thing might be there, looking at him from any those threes Stiles looks around and steps back a twig screeches beneath his feet and he startles fall on his back letting out a gasp, he needs to get out of there, he needs to.

“Stiles” Hears a voice near him.

“I´m here” Shouts hoping they were closer than the eyes, he rolls and stands and see the light of the camera approaching him, runs toward them and stumbles with a root, Isaac is right he´s too clumsy.

“Are you ok?” Lydia asks hurrying to help him stand.

“I´m fine”

“How the hell you got lost?” Allison says.

“I don´t know I just…”

“What´s that?” Jackson asks swaying the light blinding Stiles for a second, his heart skips a beat what? What have Jackson see? Stiles phone starts ringing.

“It´s a shirt” Lydia says kneeling to grab the cloth in which Stiles is standing, Jackson points the camera at it, is one of the Lacrosse´s team uniform, a white tee with a white wolf painting on it or at least a part because it is ragged by…

“Those are claws?” Allison says pointing at the cuts.

“It seems so” Lydia adds, her lips wobbling.

Stiles phone rings again.

“Hello?” Says.

“Stiles where are you?” His dad voice asks. _Shit_.

“Dad Um…. I´m on my way… I didn´t answer because I´m driving and you know it´s dangerous”

“Come on son hurry up, I must be back at work in less than an hour” His dad complains, and Stiles cuts the call.

“I gotta go” Says

“What? Why?” The others asks.

“I´m sorry have dinner with my dad” He says pretending being angry. “I wish I could stay, anyway I think I should keep the shirt Scott´s mom is an officer maybe they can use it”  

“Um… No it´s useful for our project” Jackson replies.

“You won´t just giving it to him, he´s right the police needs to know about it” Lydia says bossily, Stiles takes the shirt and waves away, running out of the woods, fleeing from that place, how relieved he feels, he gets into the street near the school where is car is parked, a team´s uniform? Why? And whose it belonged? Where that player hurt? He hasn´t heard about anyone else getting hurt because of the party, then he chuckles those uniforms have the player´s name in the back, Stiles turns the ragged cloth and reads the word Lahey above the number 05 in the back of the team´s uniform.

**…….**

“Maybe we should go” Allison says, she´s starting to feel a little nervous now that Stiles is gone.

“No way we finally found something” Jackson replies.

“I don´t know it isn´t a good idea” Allison mutters.

“You´re not seeing the big picture don´t you?” Lydia asks and Allison stares at her shadow in the darkness, she is pretty sure her friend is smiling with her smart-ass face right now.

“That shirt… it was from one of the guys in our school”

“Yeah so what?” Jackson says frowning.

“That someone else was attacked and survived” Allison points out. “Maybe Isaac…”

“That´s exactly what I was thinking Lydia says”  

“What are you doing here?” Says a voice, and they jump Jackson drops the camera, Allison hearts starts pounding at her ears so loudly that probably the whole town must be hearing it by now, a dark shape approaches them and grabs the camera from the floor.

“Are you ok?” Derek Hale frowns at them.

“Dude you scared the hell out of us” Jackson reproaches.

“Um… I´m sorry I just went to pick up a few things from my house” He says with a grin, is he laughing at them?

“Anyway, you shouldn´t be here, the police told me there is a wild animal in the woods no one can enter until they catch it” Explains. “Come one, I´ll drive you home”

Allison, Lydia and Jackson exchange glances, she knows her friends wants to stay a little longer but they won´t if someone else knows they´re in there they might get in trouble, if Derek decides to call the police…. Allison is the first to join him, and notices he´s carrying at box of supplies so she knows he´s not being lying, then Lydia steps next to her and Jackson have to give up he won´t stay alone, he knows it is an stupid idea, they start they´re way back to the streets and then she notices that Derek is splitting in another direction, his car might be somewhere else, _shit_ she thinks, she has no car, Stiles is already gone and Lydia and Jackson have already entered in their porn mode back them.

“Need a ride?” Derek asks when he´s a few feet away, Allison would like to say no, she could walk or pick a cab but if she doesn´t get it at time? Her dad would kill her if he finds she walked back home, so she nods, waves goodbye Lydia and Jackson and follows Derek out of the woods.

**…….**

“I´m sorry, I´m sorry” Stiles says sitting in front of his dad in the red and uncomfortable cushions in the restaurant, the air is hotter to be warm and smell like lasagna, he smiles it is the first time in a long time that something is so familiar and yet the longing doesn´t hurt, instead, it makes him happy, he almost can see his mom next to him, firing paper balls to him to him with a straw, and his dad furrowing his brow and then laughing, they were happy. His dad is grinning right now, maybe he´s recalling too those days.

“It´s all right, but I had to eat because it’s almost time for my shift” Explains. Stiles glance at the table a half pizza is waiting for him.

“I can´t eat all that” Stiles chuckles.

“Take some for Scott them” His dad suggest and then Stiles eyes must had shade because his dad frowns at him.

“Are the things right between you two?” Ask concerned, and Stiles recalls their arguing that afternoon, it was silly a tiny thing but they haven´t have any of those ever, well not ever but haven´t happened since they were seven or eight he can´t remember.

“No, It´s just that Scott is like a total different person” He gasps taking a piece of pizza.

“It´s normal you boys are growing up, people change, and he´s been really stressed with the school the training…”

“Yeah, maybe it´s just that” Then he recalls, “Speaking of friends” adds taking the yearbook from his backpack. “Look what I´ve found” His dad stares at the yearbook and gaps and then laughs, that´s the night Stiles hears for the first time how his parents met.

**…….**

When Derek stops the car, she knows she´s in trouble, how stupid she have been, her dad is standing outside the house still as a stone grimacing.

“Um… Hi dad…”

“Get in now!” He grunts.

“But…”

“NOW” Allison lets out a low cry of surprise and looks back to Derek standing next to her and apologizes to him with her eyes, then pass by her dad without looking at him and stares from inside at them.

“The woods are a dangerous place, you shouldn´t let her wandering around especially in the night” Derek says his blue eyes fixed on his dad.

“I´ll keep that in mind” Her father grunts.

“Have a good night sir” Derek says getting into his car and driving away, Allison steps back and falls in her ass when her dad opens the door, she hasn´t see him that way before his eyes.

“What the hell Allison!” He growls.

“Dad I´m…”

“A liar!” He says furiously.

“It´s not like that, let me explain you”

“It´s that your boyfriend?” He asks angrily, tears climb to her eyes, her sight turns blurry and numb.

“No dad, I was with my friends I swear”

“What the hell were you thinking? In the woods? At night? I don´t want you to see him ever again”

“Dad”

“I´m serious Allison” He warms her dangerously walking upstairs and slamming the door behind her.

Allison dry her tears with the heel of her hand, she wants to go upstairs to her room she wants to be as apart as she can from her dad, he´s being so unfair with her again, every time it is about her social life he becomes a monster. Before she notices is in the basement lying in the old couch next to the pool table. Why he have to be that way? He can have friends, and dates and whatever he wants but she can´t just hang out with her friends? She isn´t dating Derek anyway, he´s handsome and all that but she likes Scott… She likes Scott? She´s so angry but yeah, she can afford to admit it she likes that stalker, she likes the way he looks at her, how he press his lips in a thin line when she´s around, but it doesn´t matter her father doesn´t want her to have friends, neither would let her have a boyfriend even if that boyfriend is Scot, she wants to run to get out of her house, to go away and never come back, her dad wanted to keep her locked down as if she was a criminal she so angry right now, she stands her fist clenched she´s the one who cleans so if she breaks something will regret it tomorrow so she grab the only thing she finds that can´t break of spill in the floor, her dad darts, and start throwing them to the board in the opposite wall imagine his dad face in the middle, she throws one, two, three, miss all her tries, and now she´s happy she could do her dad´s longshot in the woods because she doesn´t want be like him in anyway, breaths out she feels calmer now, it´s better get in bed and try to forget that awful day throws her last dart and approaches the stairs passing by the board to gap after noticing that her last try hit straight in the bull´s eye.

**…….**

He had a good time with his dad, almost forgot how it feel to be happy in family, he knows his mom wasn´t there but it almost was as if she had, Stiles opens the door, shit he forgot to turn on the lights before getting out, but Jackson and the girls showed up so fast, and then he recalls, the shirt, the name Lahey written in the back, he´s sure he heard it before but where?, takes off his shoes and walks upstairs, get into his room and sits into his bed staring at the shirt, who is Lahey? He squeezes his mind but is unable to remember looks up and see a shadow in the door lurking is his imagination or its breathing? A pair of shinning ice-cold blue eyes flute open Stiles shrieks and back in his bed, whatever who is, is next to the door he won´t be able to get away unless he jumps from the window, his heart tries to get out from his mouth, it´s chocking him he´s out of breath, no is not his heart the eyes are now inches from him and his hand it´s pressing his throat, squeezing so thigh he´s starting to see white dots he can´t breathe he can´t…

“Listen to me boy” Says Derek´s rough boy. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are”

“I don´t give a shit about it, but you and your friends better to stay out of the woods you hear me?”

Stiles tries to reply but there´s no air his lungs are burning he´s going to die, he can feel it, he´s going to die.

He nods.

“Good” Derek murmurs with deep voice and releases him.

The air enter into his lungs again, Stiles comes back to life, gasping stumbling backing toward the door trying to get away from him as fast as he can but he can´t stand his legs won’t stop trembling like jelly his brain is still too out of air to remember how to scream for help, so he keeps backing away staring at those deep ice- cold eyes until the wall hits his crown and he stands straightening helped by the wall he reaches the switch, turns on the light and Derek is gone. 


	3. THE SURVIVOR

III

THE SURVIVOR

 

Allison gets out of bed a little later than usual, her nightmares have finally faded, but she´s still shocked by the way her dad treated her, he was insane and she was so angry after leaving the basement that she couldn´t help mourning when she got into her room. Now she sees the things from her dad´s point of view and understands why he freaked that way when Derek drove her home, it´s true, she lost her mom but he lost her too, his lover, his soul mate, so he can´t just say nothing when she tells him that she´s studying with Lydia and suddenly comes home from the woods that are being searched looking for god-knows-what insane animal and accompanied by a complete stranger who is a guy by the way, it´s true Allison hasn´t seen her dad act that way before, but now she knows that maybe she overreacted a little too, and she must made it up for him.

When gets out of the shower the bacon´s smell make her stomach to growl, _damn it_ her dad woke up early, now she feels worst, Allison and her dad doesn´t have many rules, but after her mom died she cooks and her dad cleans, but now… Her dad it´s being waking up earlier than usual, he has his job and all that but… doing this, cooking for her when he knows it´s her job, it´s like he´s telling _I don´t trust you, you´re not the same_ or even worst _I´m so disappointed with you._

She´s urged to face him before he leaves and at least offer him and apology, so she dress up so quickly that when she heads the door notices she´s still wearing her slippers, _another two minutes lost_. She walk down the stairs and enters the kitchen, the countertops has been cleaned as the marble table, the floor is shiny and her breakfast awaits, she takes a toast, where´s her dad? Has he already gone? No, she didn´t heard the car, but yeah he´s probably too angry to consider taking her school that morning, she takes a bite and perceives a shadow from the corner of her eye, behind the window she finds her dad´s back lurched onto his car as he draw circles with a cloth on the paint. She leaves her breakfast and walks outside, the sun hit her eyes as fast as she puts and foot outside, a sunny day she can´t believe she´s actually seeing the sun in Beacon Hills, maybe that´s the reason her dad is washing the car instead of taking it to a car wash, Allison walks through the yard as her dad cleans the fenders and then she notices it, that´s not his car.

“Dad?” She murmurs. He stops and turns toward her, her mouth wobbling, his screams are still on her head. He says nothing when their eyes met, but she can see it now, that he´s not angry anymore, she approaches as he shoves his hands in his pockets, takes something from them and threw it to her, Allison spots a tiny object flying toward her glinting because of the sunrays and she catches it, cold metal they are car keys.

“Dad…” She starts but her voice fades.

“It´s yours” He says with a grin, and Allison is having a hard time to connect her ideas, wasn´t he mad at her? The last time she checked he was so angry that she thought his temple´s vein might explode.

“But… why?” She asks shocked.

“It´s true, I´ve been a little unfair with you, you have your license and we can afford it” He assures reaching her, Allison hesitates but then step forward and let her dad embrace her, while she looks straight at the car, it was a black sonic, shining because of the sun and the sprays of water, it was a sonic black as her hair and her eyes, it was so perfect, it was her car.

“It´s is second hand” Her dad says, he´s probably looking at her face.

“I don´t care” She mutters. “It´s perfect”

“Um… dad…I´m…”

“Don´t” He says and take her head in his hands. “I´m really sorry I shouldn´t have threated you that way” Then he changes the subject.

“Remember to put gas on it, and don´t rush Allison, I mean it” Warns with his usual dad-friend tone.

“I promise” She replies with a smirk. “It´s awesome dad, thank you”

“Enjoy it, just don´t get in trouble”

“Maybe I should more often” She laughs and then feels his skin against her tensing, and he lets go. _Fuck I´ve screwed it._

“Don´t play with the odds” He says as he takes his own car´s keys from his pockets and get into his car.

“Eat, I´ll see you at dinner”

Allison nods, looking at her car with the corner of her eyes, she hears her dad´s car engine.

“And Allison”

She tilt her head back to him.

“No boys in the car, I meant it” Says and then vanishes in the road.

**…….**

Stiles can feel it, and it´s getting annoying Scott is staring at him, deeply, scrutinizing his mind, trying to find…

“Stiles” His friend says.

“What?” He asks harshly and then feels guilty, he shouldn´t treat him like that, but he can´t think straight he´s so… _shit_ , scared.

“Are you ok?” Scott says warily.

“Yeah why you´re asking me that?” He replies.

“Um… because you´re not driving school”

“What?” Stiles cries, as he takes a look at the road, Scott is right, he´s driving… out of the town… _seriously subconscious?_ Stiles bits his lip and turns in the nearest deflection.

“Seriously dude, are you alright?” Scott sounds concerned, but Stiles can´t help but feel anger against his best friend because…

“Come on Stiles, I´m your best friend, I know something is wrong”

 _Of course that something is wrong, because you´re new friend Derek almost strangled me last night and now I´m so freaking scared that I can´t even sleep, eat or tell someone about it, specially you because you don´t believe anything I say about him, he´s a psycho by the way._  

“No, I´m fine, I´m just too tired I´m sorry”

“Stiles I know…”

“You still can´t remember how you got home after the party?” Stiles says changing the subject, Scott shakes his head.

“I don´t know what are you doing back in school, my dad should intern you” Stiles accuses. 

“I´m fine Stiles!” Scott grunts. “I´m feeling awesome actually, I think that the medicine Derek gave me made feel better”

“Yeah, sure because my dad´s advices who´s a real doctor by the way didn´t help much huh?”

“Why you´re so moody? What do you have against Derek?” Scott says sharply.

Stiles stomach gives a lurch, and he can almost feel his fingers squeezing his throat again. _Umm… nothing just that he broke in into my house last night and almost killed me, but you won´t believe me even if you find him shooting me because he´s your new hero and all that shit_

“I don´t like that guy” _And I think he has something to do with the wood´s wild beast_.

“But´s his cool and…”

“Yeah he´s totally nice, you should marry him” Stiles spits and stops the car in the school´s parking lot.

“I don´t know why you´re acting this way so suddenly but I…” Scott doesn´t ends his phrase, Stiles looks at him and finds him gaping, staring at the car next to them.

“Oh Hi guys” Allison says happily getting down of the car from the pilot’s seat.

“You got a car?” Scott said stunned.

“Yeah, my dad just got it for me” She says happily, they get down of the jeep and join in her in the door, Scott and Allison start talking to each other and in seconds Stiles’ mind fades, he can’t stop thinking about last night, and how sure he was that he was going to die, he was so terrified, the first weeks after his mom died Stiles used to think that he should have died to too, so they could be together again, so wouldn’t feel so hurt, so empty, so raged but now, Stiles knows that it wasn’t a lie, he’s scared for his life, for his dad’s and Scott’s, for some reason that guy Derek doesn’t want anyone in the woods, so he sent Isaac to warn him, then somehow he discovered that they got into the woods and broke into his house to threaten him, he has something to do with the _thing_ killing people, maybe it’s his psycho pet, he has no clues but, he’s sure that he has anything to do with it.

**…….**

At lunch Stiles sits in their usual place awaiting for his friends, Allison shows up a couple of minutes later followed by Scott, they´ve been talking the whole previous periods got many warnings from the teachers yet they didn’t seem to care.

“Where´s Lydia?” Stiles asks when they sit, now that he thinks about it he hasn´t see her in the whole day.

“I don´t know” Allison replies thoughtfully. “I haven´t see her or Jackson in the whole day”

“Maybe they´re sick” Scott adds.

“Both?” Stiles arches a brow, _damn_ he thinks and Allison chuckles.

“Seems like they´re pretty busy” She smirks.

“Scott! You´re back!” Says a guy standing before they´re table. When Stiles looks up recognizes one of Scott´s team mate.

“Yeah, I´m back” He says cool, “But I can´t practice yet, I shouldn´t be here anyway, but I was getting insane at home” He explains.

“Dude, you missed school?” The guy frown. “You´re already insane” laughs.

“Come one, at least sit with the team” Says and Scott looks at Allison and Stiles doubtful.

“Don´t worry go” Stiles says, he´s not in the mood to talk to Scott anyway.

“Yeah, It´s ok, we´ll have time to catchup later” Allison adds with a slight smile. Scott looks at them for a few more seconds and then gives up and stands following his friend to the team´s table.

“So, what was all that catchup later thing?” Stiles asks smirking.

“Um… Scott asked me a date” She admits, “Since he´s not back in the team till tomorrow he thought that maybe we could go out somewhere”

“When he ask you?” Stiles says doubtful.

“In class, before Harries freaked” Allison explains.

“Uh…. Yeah” Stiles nods.

“You have been absent the whole day” She says frowning.

“I… I´m just tired”

“I don´t know, you look scared, did you sleep well last night?” She looks concerned, should he tell her about what happened?

“I… um… I´m just tired that´s all” He replies after a long meditation, he can´t tell her he can´t if she tells anyone, and Derek finds out…

“Anyway, you gave Scott´s mom the shirt?” She asks.

“Um…no, I´m not sure but there is something fishy about all this”

“What do you mean?” She takes a bite of her meal and stares at him expectantly.

“I mean, I found a name, in the back, Lahey, it´s one of the guys in the team” He mutters as low as he can.

“So what?” She asks confused.

“Did you saw the size of the claws that cut it?” He says, “I don´t know and animal in the town that big” adds.

“So it was the thing we saw” She agrees and he can see the fear peeking from her eyes.

“Yup” He nods. “But that´s not the whole thing, this Lahey guy on our Lacrosse team was attacked by it” He explains.

“But… there´s no one missing, there´s no one dead” Allison mutters her eyes in the distant.

“Exactly” Stiles agrees, “It means that whoever was attacked, survived”

“Stiles but, we don’t know who this guy is, and he has to be wounded or have a scar at least” She says.

“I know, it´s weird but it´s the only clue we have” He says, “I have to find him and speak to him, to know what happened”

“Wow wait” She says, “Shouldn´t we need a Great Dane to be certified teen investigators?”

Stiles snorts, “Funny”

“I mean, what happened with talking to Scott´s mom?”

“I´m doing this for her” He assures, _and revenge_  

“Why?” She frowns.

“Well, people doesn´t take her much serious as an officer”

“Why?”

“Umm…” Stiles clears his throat “When we were kids, and Scott´s dad still lived with them, he was kinda a jerk, he used to get drunk because he used to feel frustrated because he hasn´t a job and well…. He kicked the crap out of Scott´s mom” Stiles says and feels the guilty crawling in his chest, maybe he said too much.

Allison cover her mouth with her hand.

“Oh my god, how awful”

“Yeah, he was a dick” Stiles agrees recalling those terrible days.

“And how he left?” Allison asks and turn her neck toward the team´s table to look at Scott.

“Well, she didn´t have the courage to tell anyone, or put him in jail she was too scared, Scott used to hide in my house those days, he spent whole nights crying, until we were like twelve I don´t remember… He was hitting her and Scott couldn´t stand it anymore, and got in the middle and his dad kicked him away”

“Bastard” Allison mutters despiteful.

“And Scott´s mom got out of her mind, she freaked out and asked for help, and got him in jail for a while, and he never came back”

“Poor Scott” Allison says with sadness.

“Yeah, that´s why I want to find clues that proves that I´m alright, she´s in the case so maybe they will promote her”

“Wait alright about what?” Allison chuckles.

“That, someone it´s involved in the murder of that guy and the deer” He explains.

“Someone?” Allison frowns.

“That Derek guy” Stiles spat with anger.

“Derek? Why you think he´s killing people? He´s really nice” Allison says confused.

“No he´s not, I don´t like him I think he´s evil” Stiles says in a mutter, _and almost killed me_.

“Stiles I don´t…”

“Look I´ll just sneak in the lockers at the practice find who is this Lahey guy and then I´ll tell everything to Scott´s mom”

“Stiles don´t get in trouble” She advises.

“Don´t worry just have fun in your date and I´ll seek Mr. Survivor”

“But…” Her voice trails off as both look back to the Lacrosse´s team table where all of them are making jokes and playing with their food like kids.

“Who you think is him?”

Allison is right, they´re staring at the whole team, they all look healthy and strong they´re jocks, the survivors of the society and adolescence they all are survivors by nature, but who is the special kind of survivor they´re looking for?

**…….**

Allison took a last look at Stiles in the Alley, the school was almost desert already people were gathering in the parking lot, getting into their cars or waiting for the bus to depart.

“Are you sure about this?” She asks, she concerned about Stiles, all that conspiracy theory, he might get in trouble in one of the Lacrosse team players find him sneaking into the locker room to not mention that maybe he could be right which mean that he can´t be in serious danger if he find out an horrible truth. _Oh come on!_

“Don´t worry I´ll get inside while they´re practicing so no one will see me, I just wanna know who is this guy and then I might ask Jackson about him” He explains.

“Then why don´t you just call him and ask him about this Lahey guy?” Allison suggest.

“He doesn´t pick up his phone, that bastard” Stiles grunts, and Allison can help but laughing, Lydia and Jackson must be pretty busy. “Anyway, what about Scott? Why you don´t ask him?”

“I don´t know, Scott it´s being weird lately”

“Define weird” Allison chuckles.

“Um… We have some kind of arguing this morning” He says in a hiss, his eyes on the floor.

“So what? Lot of friends have fights, it´s a normal thing”

“Yeah, but we haven´t before, and now I just feel different like maybe I can´t completely trust in him” Stiles voice is sad, Allison feel sorry for him so maybe she should just let him do his thing, that would help him see that there nothing suspicious about the wood´s murdering.

“Ok, go! But, be careful ok if these guys find you sneaking they can´t kick the crap out of you and there is no one to save you” She warms before heading the parking lot.

**…….**

After Allison left, Stiles turns on his heels and walk across the empty hallways, in the only sound is the music club practicing in the distant, striding he addresses the lacrosse team locker room, the air is moist and quite, there are no laughs, or jokes, not girl´s talking, actually there´s not any sound at all, Stiles takes a quick peek through the door´s ajar, the room is empty and silence, he slowly opens the door and gets in, _are they already practicing?_ He squint it have been a sunny day and the rays that went in through the windows hit the metal locker´s blinding him, he´s sure he´s in the right place, but yet…. Steps, not too far, a group of them maybe eight of nine of them, Stiles approaches the door and look outside, he can´t get out they´re already on the corner, he must hide, and soon. What to do? He needs a stash, but where? Then he recalls the only locker that will be unused that day, Scott´s, Stiles run throw the rows of locker, which one is Scott´s? He´s friend is the captain right? It means his must be something characteristic on it, _think Stiles think_ , he walks around looking around, peering through the grates until he spots a dirty shirt with the number 1 on it, _which is Scott´s number?_ The captain number´s is 1? Foots are too near to think twice, Stiles just hopes that Scott is so predictable to use his birthday as locking password. The door behind him slams open and Stiles hurls himself inside, breathing with relief and choking by the stench. 

**.......**

Allison gets into the shower in a rush, the water is hot to burn but she doesn´t care, she have starting to get sick of Beacon Hill´s cold wheatear, toss her hair in her back and let the water clean her face, every drop making her shake with excitement, she still can´t believe that she´s going on a date with Scott, she like Scott she really do, but he´s not like the kind of guy she might be interested in, speaking of, she is not sure about what kind of guy she would date, all those years with her overprotective dad,  when she was four maybe five once she said that she wanted to marry her dad so she wouldn´t have to leave her house ever, how wrong she was. It´s not like Allison is angry with her dad or want to leave him, but it wouldn´t mind if she gets a boyfriend even if that boyfriend is Mr. Quirky captain, She excited anyway maybe because it is her first date ever, despite Lydia who probably had her at the nine years old or something, but Allison is not like her, she doesn´t want to rush with this, maybe a dinner, walk by the town (ok bad idea her dad could see her) watch a movie perhaps, it’s safe, and dark and kind of romantic, yeah blame Disney but Allison can´t help but image herself living her for ever after with her charming prince and housemaid animals, yeah she´s sick of cleaning up messes all day.

She´s taking off her conditioner when she hears the floor screeching below, her heart skips a beat, she´s pretty sure her dad isn´t home, he have to be at work, but if he isn´t there? If he went home early how she will manage to come out with Scott without her dad noticing or worst freaking out like he did last night? Allison takes her towel and cover her body, instantly the cold air gives her Goosebumps but she can´t stop to change her clothes, she walks downstairs, now she hears a pull, something really heaving being pushed, it comes from the basement.

“Dad?” She asks when she addresses the basement.

“Uh? Ouch” She hears her father.

“Dad are you ok?” She asks starting the stairs.

“Um….Yeah… honey just a minute” He yells from downstairs.

“What are you doing?” She says going downstairs.

“Uh? Um… I was… just” He starts approaching her. “Bringing some things from work”

“Umm ok”

“I have to go now honey” He says pressing his lips against his temple. _Perfect_

“Just came to leave this here”

“What´s it?” She asks looking around trying to identify the heavy object.

“Um… just build tools, and just worried they might get lost, some we decided staring them at home until the building´s basement is done, but today there´s an important meeting and the work has been halted, I think there would be redesign I´m not sure yet”

“Oh, so you have a lot do at work?”

“Yeah, I thought you would be at school, you need and extracurricular”

“I´m still figuring which club and joining” She lies.

“Well I have to go, take care, and don´t touch that thing, there are many dangerous things inside it, like saws” He warns.

“Got it” She replies as he walks upstairs, she follows her dad to the living room and makes sure he leaves the house, when she´s sure he´s gone and not coming back she runs upstairs and starts dressing up as fast as she can, she was late already in her bath, why she can´t have a normal night date and take her time to dress up? Ah right her dad, _damn is late,_ at least she has a car now. After retouching her make up in the mirror for the fifth time she takes her keys and her cellphone, she hopes she hasn´t any Scott message cancelling the date for being late, luckily her only message comes from Lydia, telling her how awesome night and morning she and Jackson had, _not now,_ she thinks running downstairs, she gets into the car and drives to the address they agreed.

When Allison arrives finds Scott walking outside the Town´s Park, _shit_ she thinks, they´re just a few blocks away from the construction. She must think quickly, they can´t stay longer in there her dad can´t see them, why she´s so afraid? Her dad has always been the coolest person in the world, but after what happened, maybe is better wait a little to tell her dad that she seeing Scott.

“Hi” She says when she gets out of the car.

“Hi” Scott replies with a smile, a dorky smile, Allison can´t help but smile too.

“Um… I was thinking that maybe we could walk in the woods because is a sunny day, but will all that killing-animal thing I thought that maybe we could come here” He says with a smirk.

“I know it´s not the same…” His voice trails off.

“It´s fine… well no… it´s not actually” She says and hurries to explain after noticing his expression, “It´s just that, my dad works around maybe we could see each other in a more private place”

“Oh” He says with some relief. “So… are you hungry?” Suggests.

“Not really”

“There´s a billiard not too far” She says, recalling the place from the day they moved back, even though is not her thought of a first date she´s out of ideas and she can´t keep waiting for Scott to think, her dad could pass by, _fuck Disney_ She needs to go away from there as soon as she can, she´ll definitely ask Lydia for ideas next time, but for now the pool would work, even though they have a table in home and Allison literally sucks, it´s better than walking in a boring park and do nothing.

They stop the car outside a pub, Scott hurries to open the door for her which she thanks, although she thinks that it is too XIX century, inside there is not much to see, it´s a short room with two pool tables, one taken by a group men with tattoos the other empty, at the other side of the room there is a bar with five people in the stoles taking their drink

“Do you think is legal for us to be in here?” Scott asks concerned.

“I think so, we´re not buying alcohol or anything”

“It´s just… my mom it´s a cop you know?”

Despite his comment Scott doesn´t wait for Allison´s reply and approaches the bar, after a few minutes comes back with to cokes, they take their cues and address the table.

“So eight-ball?” Scotts asks.

“Do you know how to play?” She says in almost a scoff.

“Yeah, I´ve played a few times” He says politely. “Didn´t you expected me to play?” He smirks.

“Actually I was hoping you sucked more than I” She laughs.

“Don´t worry I´ll teach you, then we could kick Stiles ass later” He suggests.

Takes the balls to make the rack as he briefly throw shy glances to her, why he have to be so damn cute? It´s like a puppy, it´s annoying and somewhat flattering, there have been other guys interested in her before, but Allison didn´t like to make friends, they used to move too quickly to really give a crap about it, but now there is this weird guy with his puppy amber eyes staring at her struggling with his growing smirk and Alison… Alison can´t help but feel a knot in her stomach.

“I used to play with my dad, but I´m a bit rusty” She admits taking her cue lowering her head until her chin touches the table´s fabric to look straight at the rack, places the cue ball in the center and hit it with the stick, it instantly hits the other balls two get into pockets.

“Oh I forget to pick stripes or solids” She says embarrassed.

“Well this two are stripes, I guess you could team that” He suggest taking a look at the table´s pockets.

“You´re not letting me win don´t you?” She asks.

“No…” He lamely says. “I haven´t played yet”

In his next try Allison only gets to pocket the cue ball so it´s Scott´s turn, in his first try he only gets to pocket one, two by the next, and one more at last until he lamely fails and accidently pockets a striped one, Allison laughs and takes her turn, she tries to focus in the ball and imagine the trajectory it will describe on the board, she almost have, she hits the ball and fails.

“Your hand” Scott suddenly says while she curses inside.

“What?” She ask.

“You shake it every time you make a hit”

“I do?” She says confused, she´s pretty sure she doesn´t, so instead of letting him take the next turn she focuses on her game, and how she does plays.

“See?” He points out. “There”

“I don´t see anything” She replies frustrated.

“Come on” He says reaching her, stepping behind her and cupping her hands with his, they´re calloused but gentle, warm, he arches his back, until his chest touches her spine, his heart his beating so hard she can hear it, or it is hers? She is not quite sure, he talks but she isn´t listening, well not really, his instructions fades as his grip tighten over her hands, his breathing at her ear, she is overwhelmed he is words are soft his grip hard and heavy, he presses his body against hers closer and if he were claiming her, is confusing his words are gently and soft and his actions primitives and territorial and she… Allison can´t help but sigh.

**…….**

After almost half hour of stupid jokes and buttcheeks slaps, they are all dressed and ready to get into the field, which Stiles thanks considering how uncomfortable is to hide in such small place as a locker room, hunted by Scott´s dirty trousers stench. They start leaving the locker room in small groups, some ask the others for Jackson and they reply he´s probably having sex with that hot bitchleader _ha!_ , he thinks, so he´s happy they´re already leaving or in the next comment about her he might not contain himself and will leave his stash to kick their jock asses with his skinny and flaccid…ok bad idea, _just a few minutes more_.

“Leahy more your ass” Shouts a male voice near the door, and Stiles heart gives a lurch, he slightly moves in his cell and peer through the grate, he can´t see anything just a fat butt, could that be Lahey´s?

“I´m coming” Replies another voice just inches next to Stiles, _fuck,_ he can´t see who´s in the next locker but at least knows which Lahey´s locker, maybe the guy is stupid enough to leave it open while he practice, but what Stiles might find in there anyway? A claw ripped from the creature? Or the guy´s diaries, that stupid he won´t get anything unless he faces Lahey.

Silence, everybody left already? Stiles peers again and sees nothing, and the only thing he hears is the coach´s meandering yells from the field which means that the practice have started, yet Stiles prefers to be cautious and waits five more minutes just to make sure that no one forgot anything inside like a monster disguise and a serial murdering weapon. When he´s sure that no one is around he slightly let´s go his grip from the locker´s door and it opened, Stiles hurls his face outside and then the rest of his body, takes a deep breath and his brain starts working again, he takes Lahey´s ragged shirt in his hands and takes a look, and stare at the locker´s at the captain´s right.

“I was looking for it” Says a voice behind him while a hand snatches the shirt off his hand, Stiles heart jump in his chest and turns on his heels to face Lahey.

**…….**

Ok this is stupid, Allison have listened to Scott´s instructions more than five times, always the same routine, she´s not sure if he´s taking advantage that she´s a terrible player to touch her or she really needs help, so probably is the last one, Allison hasn´t been able to pocket a ball since she broke the rack and it´s starting to get annoying specially because Scott keeps telling her that she can do it, _I can´t ok?_ She wants to scream but it´s silly to be frustrated for not being good at something like when she tried the darts the night… it´s true it was funny she was so angry and then threw her last dart and it hit the bull´s eyes, was kind of liberating except for the part of imagining her the bull´s eye as her dad´s head, but now that she recalls it was dark, and the last thing she did was look straight at it instead of paying attention at how many she failed before, and that´s what she´s planning to do, start in zero, forget how many times she had missed a try, and just focus on the striped balls, she takes a deep breath, ignores Scott´s stares and focuses in the cue ball, how many projecting it´s trajectory in her mind the angels and how she can pocket the striped balls without even touching the solids, it’s impossible to do, yet how did she did it?

She´s gaping, the barman is gaping, and Scott and the men in the other table are too.

“Oh my god” Allison says shocked her lower lip wobbling. “I…I…I”

“I WON” Shrieks in Scott´s face that´s is still stunned.

“How… did you?” He tries to say. “Allison”

“I won” Ok maybe pool didn´t suck after all, maybe just sucked to be a loser, yet Scott don´t seem to matter considering that he´s smiling at her.

“You did it”

“I did it” She says smiling, jumping on her place.

“I knew you were good at it” Scott congratulates her, and before she notices they´re both hugging and staring at each other´s eyes, his hands on her waist, hers in his chest, again his heart beating so loudly, or is it hers? Allison is not sure any more about certain things about her but is good to let go sometimes and she does, she thanks Scott for teaching her and then briefly presses her lips against his, maybe´s she´s rushing, and maybe it isn´t the most nice place in the world for her first kiss, but as she said before, _fuck Disney_ , that´s a happy ending for her day and first date after all, tho she still have to meditate about how in the hell she did that? It has to be just a coincidence, beginner´s luck, but the scary thing is that deep inside her, something, someone, herself is telling that it wasn´t and that she knew what she was doing. 

**…….**

“What are you doing here?” Stiles asks accusingly staring at Isaac with some wary, he´s naked from waist up, his white chest blazing with the sunlight water drops running down his chest and face, his face soaked.

“I could ask you the same” Isaac snorts with a smirk. “I´m sure you haven´t joined the team unless you were watching me while I was taking a bath” He chuckles.

“I wasn´t…argh!!” “I was…” Stiles hesitates. “Looking for Scott”

“Umm that´s weird” Isaac points out. “I´m pretty sure that after class he took the bus while you were talking with dimple face”

“You´re stalking me now?” Stiles grunts.

“You want me to?” Isaac scoffs haughtily.

_What the heel dude? Are you seriously… he´s changing the subject, he´s changing the subject!!_

“Don´t change the subject” Stiles says muddy.

“Which is?” Isaac frowns.

“That you should be in practice”

“I like to take a bath before practice, the cold water it helps me….. Chill out” Isaac explains.

“Chill out? Dude it´s supposes… never mind” Stiles waves the thought away, who the hell takes a cold bath in Beacon Hills anyway?

“You´re Lahey” Says harshly.

“Yeah, thanks for finding my shirt” Isaac thanks him as he takes out his towel and opens his locker and start dressing, Stiles turn on his heels embarrassed but them turns back gaping.

“You don´t have any scar” Says shocked, and Isaac frowns.

“Didn´t I told you to stay out of trouble monkey?” Isaac mutters without looking at him.

“Don´t call me that and you should have a scar at least, you should be dead”

“Why would I should be dead Monkey?” Isaac asks sternly.

“Because I found this shirt in the woods, near the place I saw the thing, and it´s …fishy”

“Don´t you need a Great Dane to be a certified teen investigator?” Isaac says wryly, and then something _clicks_ inside Stiles mind.

“You heard us” Stiles shouts. “That´s why you staid longer than the others”

“What´s the matter?” Isaac asks arching his brow, “I just need a bath”

“Don´t play fool with me, the thing in the woods, it hurt you, that´s your shirt, that´s your blood, I´m pretty sure that if I take it to the police station and they open an investigation they will find that it´s your blood and that you….”

Before he can blink his back is slammed against the locker room, and he gasps staring at Isaac terrified recalling Derek squeezing his neck.  

“Please monkey” Isaac murmurs. “I don´t wanna hurt you”

“Like your friend Derek did?” Stiles spits with anger.

“He didn´t want to hurt you it is my fault I should have been harder to you so you and your friends…”

“Didn´t want to hurt me? Are you fucking kidding me? He broke into my house, almost choked me to dead and he didn´t want to hurt me”

“You don´t understand monkey, he was…. We just….”  Stiles voice trails off. Stiles can see him struggling inside, his eyes hesitate.

“So why he didn´t _warned_ my friends too? Why just me?” Stiles burst, he´s happy they didn´t hurt his friends, but he needs to get more information and maybe he could get it in small pieces and then assemble the puzzle.

“Because… you´re their leader” Isaac sighs, _small victory, but what the hell?_

“I´m not a leader I just got here” He says.

“But they care about you, and consider your thoughts, I´ve seen it” Isaac says almost accusingly.

“Yeah right, like when I told them to not go into the woods” Stiles mutters sarcastically.

“Look I really have to go… I´m sorry I can´t help you monkey, just please stay out of the woods ok?” Says finishing his dressing to head out. “Thanks for finding my shirt anyway, I would have been in trouble if the police would have found it”

“Wait” Stiles asks when Isaac addresses the door.

“What?” Isaac says without turning.

“Did you guys killed that guy?” Stiles lower lip wobbles he´s scared of the answer he might get.

Isaac shakes his head. Stiles sighs relieved.

“Do you know who or what killed him?”

Isaac nods

“Then why don´t you go with the police?”

“It´s complicated” And after that response Isaac leaves without giving Stiles chance to ask again.

**…….**

When Allison opens the door, finds her house dark, _he hasn´t come home, good_ , leaves her bag in the couch, she has homework, but it´s too thrilled to think about school, the kiss, her heart, it wasn´t as she imagined it, but it felt fine, more than just fine, good indeed. She poke her keys and throws them over the pantry, who was the thought, she has a car, a hot captain boyfriend, her dad isn´t angry with her anymore and… a buzz. There is a buzz, so low, it´s almost inaudible yet there it is, could be her cellphone? She checks it up, has a lot of texts from Lydia and then her heart leaps when read Scott´s name below in the messages hub.

“ _Had a great day, hope can see you again_ ” Read the text.

“ _We´ll see tomorrow at school_ ” She writes and a smirk flashes her reddening face.

“ _I wouldn´t miss a school day again, but I was thinking about a more private place_ ”

“ _I´m sure we can think a better place for tomorrow”_ She laughs and leaves the cellphone on the table, approaches the fridge and takes some carrots and tomatoes and start cutting them, hears the buzz again but her phone´s screen isn´t flashing, continues her slicing and then the buzz in her ears, she cleans her hands and takes the phone, Scott hasn´t replied yet, her hub is empty but yet the buzz… She walks around the kitchen but it doesn´t feel like it comes from any of the appliances, so she walks toward the drawing room and then it gets louder, she tilts her head toward the basement straining her ears, it came from downstairs.

Allison came down hesitantly and turned on the light of the basement, from her point of view it all seemed at its place, except for… _shit,_ the corner was empty, the corner, the corner where his dad has left his heavy square, Allison continued climbing downstairs, does it means that her dad has come home after all? _He knows I went out_. She addresses the pool table and the buzz intensifies, turns her neck, at her left is the little fridge where her dad puts his beers when they play, it is… buzzing and smell like…. Is it burning? _It got broken_. Allison walked behind it and turned it off, she would tell her dad later to check it up, she stands to keep making the dinner and then spots it a thin dark line carved in the wood, in _that corner_ , and she walks to it to examine it and tugs a finger, the gap enlarges and then she gets it, it´s a fake wall no, it´s not the whole wall just a part of it high enough to fit _a heavy square_ , when she slides it open she see it, her dad hid it probably after she left, but why? She looks at it it’s a chest or something, yet it is made of iron or some other kind of metal she´s not sure, her said she shouldn´t touch it but, why he´s been so suspicious about it anyway? It looks ancient and have some figures carved on it, swirls and turn in tiny squares at the end with spikes in the outer lines, what the hell was that? Allison grips the handle and pulls hard, it´s really heavy, gosh!!! Will she be able to take it out? _Just a quick look,_ she´s thrilled, it moved, dully, it started coming out slightly until is out enough that she can open it, the swirls follow all its shape, the cover its rusty and the swirls touch making a giant sketch, it seems familiar now that she thinks about it, she has seen it before, but where? The lock was open, why open? Why hide it if he would leave it open? Because he didn´t except someone to see it but himself, why her dad wanted to hide that thing even for her? Allison opens the box and lets out a shriek and cover her mouth with her palm, guns, lots of guns and many other kind of weapons, dirks, knives, gunshots and bows and the house´s front door just slammed shut. 


	4. HURT

IV

HURT

 

After breakfast Allison opens the front door and gets out of the house, her dad is still home watering the flowers, they are a kind of bush-flower which name she don’t know, countless long stems with long purple petals that surprisingly contrast in a delightful way the charcoal of the outside walls, she has seen her dad once or twice working on them but isn´t until now that she wonders since when he´s interested in flowers, _so you´re good a gardening uh?_

“You´re leaving pretty early” He says with a smile.

“Yeah, I´m not sure about my chemistry homework and wanna compare it with Lydia´s” She lies, she lies a big smile, carving deep her dimples to not let him doubt about her, tho he probably does already. She hasn´t seen the chest again, after that night Allison has tried to find it again but it has vanished, so it means he´s worried that she might find it out, or maybe he knows that she knows, but what does she know exactly? Her dad does gardening, even though she haven´t seen him taking care of a plant in her seventeen years old, and he does know how to shot an arrow and that´s why they call him _longshot_ _Argent_ , and now she just found out that he´s, Allison is not sure what to think everything is so odd and she´s so mad, so angry at him for keeping things from her, and she´s terrified to find out why her dad need those weapons, he´s an architect for god sake, why do he need a crossbow? Or a gunshot?

Allison reaches her dad, he kiss her temple and she gets into her car, driving away from the person she supposes to trust more in the whole world, and instead she´s not sure if she even knows him at all.

…….

When Scott gets into the jeep Stiles scowls and turns on the engine. Scott looks tired, deep hollows carved beneath his eyes, hasn´t sleep well? Maybe not being back in training, and his debut game as captain just a few days away. 

“Are you still mad at me?” Asks with puppy eyes, and Stiles can´t help not snort.

“No, why would I be?”  Stiles replies casually. 

“I don´t maybe because I had to take the bus yesterday back home?” Scott says with embarrassing as Stiles starts driving toward school.

“Umm… I told you I had things to do”

“Ok I´m just being a little paranoid” Scotts mumbles. “I was a little busy too, actually”

“Yeah?” Stiles frowns, _what? Hanging out with your new friends?_

“Umm… Allison and I had kind of date yesterday”

“I know” Stiles wryly his eyes on the road.

“You know?” Scott says shocked and somewhat hurt.

“Yeah, Allison told me, does it matter?”

“I…umm… I didn´t know you were that kind of close” Scott looks resentful, his fingers fidgeting on his lap.

“We´re just friends you don´t have to feel intimidated by my stunning good-looking face” _Ha! Can´t remember when was the last time I said a joke._   

“I´m not… I´m just, I mean… you just knew each other”

“So you did too” _I just feel like I´ve always knew her and  yeah I have this kind of weird connection with her, every time we touch or see each other in the eyes something bizarre burst in my chest, but I´m not telling you, you´re probably gonna freak out._

“So…umm… about that conversation we had”

“Don´t worry Scott, you have new friends is ok, cool” Stiles says with an empty grin, he doesn´t like Derek or Isaac or any other of the guys he saw in the party, but isn´t like Scott is going to listen, he doesn´t like them, he doesn´t trust them, there´s something odd about them and all that _stay out of the woods_ thing, they´re not normal, they scare the hell out of him, and he probably should tell the police about them, about the lurking, the strangling attempt and the _we know what´s out there in the woods_ thing, it´s probably them, it have to be them or how else how they would know?

…….

So here´s Allison´s plan she´s not going to freak out, of course she´s not, it´s her dad after all it must be an explanation for all that, like maybe he´s just saving them for someone else, what would turn him into a shill, well, being accomplice isn´t that bad that being the bad guy but still isn´t like the best choice, what if her dad killed that boy in the woods? No it couldn´t have been him, the police says it was an animal, and the thing she saw wasn´t human at all, well maybe a little, but her dad hasn´t big crappy shinning red eyes, that´s a win, maybe she should cancel her date with Scott what if her dad finds out? What if he decides to use one of his weapons in her boyfriend? _Boyfriend?_  She´s not sure what they are but they´re definitely more than just friends, _god!_ Like was simpler just a day ago, when her dad wasn´t a possible criminal and she sucked in billiard.

“Allison!” Lydia shrieks.

“Ah? Umm Sorry, what I´ve missed?”

“Are you alright?” Lydia says with concern.

“Yeah, sure I´m just sleepy that´s all”

“You´re mind isn´t here” Stiles points out and then Allison jumps on her seat, they were in the cafeteria, how in the hell they got there? She has been lost in her thoughts.

“Speaking of” Lydia adds staring at Stiles the same way he is looking at Allison.

“I´m not” He says with a grin.

“Where´s Jackson?” Allison asks flickering.

“He´s with the rest of team” Lydia explains, “They´re all nervous because their big game is almost here”

Allison slight tilts her head toward the Lacrosse´s team table and see they guys speaking in low voice at each other for of them staring at Scott almost as if they were plotting, and then she thinks again about her dad, about the weapons and about all the pain she feels, what´s is her dad after too?

“True” She mumbles.

“Did you find out who Lahey is?” She says looking at Stiles who´s heart probably skips a beat because he´s gaping at her, and he´s thinking twice before replying, what´s he hiding?

“What do you two want with Isaac?” Lydia frowns.

“What?” Allison says, “It is Isaac?” She looks at the team´s table again, she´s sure she didn´t say it too aloud yet his head instantly moves in their direction in that subconscious act that people usually do when they hear someone mentioning their name, but he´s too far to hear them, and he´s not hurt, he looks too healthy actually, lately the only thing Allison is sure of, is that everything is insane in her life.

“What´s going on?” Lydia says suspiciously. 

“The shirt, has Lahey written in the back” Allison mutters.

“What shirt?” Lydia seems confused, and suddenly feels Stiles eyes on her.

“The one we found in the woods” She says almost inaudibly.

“What? I thought you were taking it to the police sta…”

“I had to find out who this guy was, it´s too odd” Stiles defends himself.

“Are you crazy Stiles? If the police finds out that you kept it you could get in trouble” Lydia scolds.

“Why? It´s just a shirt” He says flatly.

“It´s not, because if it wasn´t you weren’t trying to find out who he was” The blonde reproaches.

“Anyway, did you talked to him?” Allison mutters, and he nods.

“So?” Lydia says rolling her eyes.

“Umm nothing he says he lost it a morning running with the rest of the team” He says casually and then his eyes met hers, and there´s is the spark again and she knows it, he´s lying, he´s lying to them, but why? Why´s everyone suddenly keeping things from her? She´s so pissed she wants to tell him that she knows he´s lying but she has no clues and maybe is better to leave it that was her advice after all.

“See? Guys nothing weird is going on, just a guy who died, people die every day it´s normal” She points out.

 _Yeah but what if you discover that maybe your dad was the one who killed him uh?_ And why Stiles is lying about how Isaac lost his tee? And what about the blood? He lost the blood in the practice too? _Forget Isaac,_ it´s true she has enough with her dad, gosh she´s so angry, she just want to scream, and kick and hit something.

“Are you ok?” Scott´s soft voice says reaching them, Allison can´t help blush. _Don´t be silly Allison_.

“Oh, Hi, yeah I´m fine” She says with a smile.

“She´s not, she´s being daydreaming the whole day” Lydia says mischievously.

Scott scowls and sits next her, Allison feels his body´s heat next to her, it´s so steading, she wants to hold him like the day before, and he´s skin is so warm, almost hot.

“You look overwhelmed” He mutters and she looks straight at his eyes, yellowish, clear and honest. “Maybe we could go out now, you look like you need a ride”

“The team is going to kill you” She replies.

“We just have to come back before practice, it´s up to you if I die or not” He murmurs and there he is, sometimes he´s shy some others wild, bold, like if too different persons lived inside him, and she can´t stop feeling more and more attracted to him, she wants to go, needs to clear up her mind and he´s offering her an escape from her thoughts and before Lydia, Stiles or herself can say anything to stop her, Allison stands and follows Scott outside.

…….

 _Focus_ , Stiles says himself in class _you have to focus, everything is fine, forget about getting in trouble, normal life, get out of trouble just study, Scott is with Allison there nothing to worry she´ll keep him busy_ , and so he does, he keeps his mind in the blackboard, away from Isaac and Derek, away from red eyes and blood stained tees, he has a normal life, yet he needs his pills, is hard to keep his mind focused in one thing _damn you ADHD_ , is dutiful to not think, so before the next class he arrives the bathroom and takes a pill, everything is fine, he can feel it, as long as he and the others are away from the woods and those guys.

He comes home right away after school, not lurking, not hiding, not trying to find missing pieces of an incomprehensible puzzle, just study, get high grades pray for Lydia to break up with Jackson _I´m such a bastard_ , and watch Scott in his debut game on Friday, that´s all, that´s a good plane, a great plan, a safe one too. So he opens the door, gosh the house is upside down, he´s been so busy playing detectives that hasn´t paid much attention to the housekeeping, so he takes the broom and starts cleaning.

When he´s done he´s exhausted, and sweaty, which it´s kind of odd considering how much cold is doing outside, he takes a long bath, his dad really needs to repair the hot water pipe, maybe Scott and him could do it, why not? He´s old enough to give it a try, and his dad has been so busy at the hospital, they need to see each other more often, he´s starting to feel like he´s living alone… ok maybe that´s not the best example, the emptiness is back, their house used to be so loud, his mom and the music, her strong laughter, his loud voice, _Stiles go clean your room!_ Yells so distant, so alive in his memories, so busy, so soft, so gentle, he misses her sweet voice, even misses arguing with her, and being ground… _think in something else, think in something else like… like… The thing in the woods._ Ok not the better idea, he´s trapped, needs something else to focus on.

Reading a good book is the best answer when you need to keep your mind away from whatever is haunting you, so that´s what he needs to do, studying? Umm meh, he just need to distract his mind not kill it, so that´s it, a new book, book what´s on the plate for him? Is Allegiant by Veronica Roth out already? what about the fifth wave? He had read some good reviews online, he takes his keys, and gets in the car, books are like friends, except for the part that they won´t let you down when they get new ones or a girlfriend.

…….

They hit the road going nowhere, Scott is silent his fidgeting on his lap, he knows something is going on with her and yet is giving her, her space is not asking or troubling her with nonsense questions that she won´t be able to answer because she´s not ready to deal with whatever her dad is keeping from her, in other hand, Stiles she knows he lied to her, why did he? She knows it is stupid because they just met but that strange spark that odd connection she feels with him, made her think that they couldn´t have secrets with each other, _aren´t you hiding something too?_ She says in her mind, it´s so annoying, what could he find out? Why he had to lie? Has Isaac Lahey threatened him or something? Never mind she has enough with her possible psycho-dad, so when she feels that her thoughts are about to give her a headache she just stops the car outside coffee store, and takes a deep breath, _just relax or you´re gonna scare Scott._

“Umm… what do you wanna do?” She asks shyly.  

“I thought you had something in mind” Scott replies with a grin.

“I´m not sure” She chuckles or whimper she´s not sure, she wants to cry and probably her eyes are about to treason her because Scott approaches and presses his forehead against her, his breathing hot and dry, an almost visible whiff in front of her, his head so hot, almost boiling.

“Oh my god you´re burning” She hisses.

“What?” He frowns.

“You´re forehead” She mutters touching it with her hand. “I think you´re getting sick, I better take you to the hospital”

“I don´t feel sick, I feel great actually” He says confused.

“But Scott I´m pretty sure you´re over the one hundred degrees” She says concerned.

“No, I´m fine, the only thing that bugs me is that I´m worried about you” He says softly, they just started dating, they just met, but he cares, he really does, a chill runs down her spine, who is this guy? How can be so sure about his words?

“It´s nothing forget about it” She says with a smile.

“I mean it” He assures.

“It´s nothing really, I just had an arguing with my dad” She lies, well not lies, it´s a half-true.

“What? Why? Did he found out about us?” He says groggy, fear leaps through his puppy eyes. Allison can´t help but laugh.

“No, he doesn´t know yet, but he will and you don´t have why to be scared of him, he´s a good guy he has just being acting a little weird lately, that´s all” She says with a grin. “We´re sorting this out” _hope so_.

“Are you sure it isn´t a big thing?” He says.

“I´m pretty sure” She lies, and he grins tho somehow she knows he isn´t satisfied with her answer. So new plan, she fixes her eyes back on the road.

“Wanna see a movie?” She asks.

“How about a little later? Practice is about to start” He says.

“Oh Sorry, I almost forget” She says with sadness, she whish she could spend more time with him, so she presses her lips against his, and he chuckles.

“What was that for” He mutter between their kiss.

“Just to give you something to think while you´re practicing”

“You´re gonna keep me busy the whole practice, they´re definitely going to kick my ass” He laughs and she does too, she puts her hands band in the steering wheel, and starts the engine, she drives a little fast, Scott is right he should be at practice already, he might get in trouble all because of her, so she takes a shortcut passing by a round of lofts downtown when she spots it, it´s her dad´s car… She stops dry, and looks in all directions him isn´t in the street.

“Allison?” Scott Asks. “Is there something wrong?”

“Umm no… nothing I just forgot that Lydia has my chemistry notebook, and now I have to go her place to take it” Lies again, fuck really? All their brand-new relationship is going to be based on lies? She looks back at her dad´s car, what´s is doing in that neighborhood? Too far from the construction and outside that old and looking- abandoned building, Allison knows she can´t keep avoiding it, denying it, her dad is hiding something and she must find out what it is if she wants to be able to look at him at his face ever again. After leaving Scott in the Lacrosse field Allison sneaks in the woods with her bow, she´s so sick, so tired, she just want to hit something, and she an idea of what might be.

.......

Stiles went to the book store to get one maybe two books, but instead he´s carrying an unsteady pile back toward his car, many can say he´s a loser but he doesn´t care, he has exactly what he needs to keep his mind busy from thinking about the thing in the woods or the his mom, he´s crossing the street when he hears someone calling out his name, he turns and hears tires screeching, he´s heart skips a beat and feels a hand tugging him backward, his books spread all around the floor.

“Oh! Thanks god you´re ok” Says Scott mom beside him.

Stiles is gasping, he almost gets hit by a car. “You just saved my life”

“Are you crazy Stiles what are you doing walking without looking both ways? What if I wasn´t passing by?”

“It was red light I swear it” He defends himself.

“Anyway, I´m glad you´re ok” She says with relief, he can almost see tears in her eyes, _fuck_ he thinks.

“I´m really sorry” He replies. “I was distracted” Says still panting, she´s taking him to her patrol. “Please don´t tell my dad”

“I won´t” She promises, “I´m just happy you´re not hurt that´s all” She says in low voice, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, he didn´t know how much Scott´s mom loved him, but she knows him since he was born, it´s normal, she was her mom best friend after all.

She opens the door for him and hurls him inside in her hand, and hands him the books she took from the floor then he recalls, why he´s inside the patrol anyway? The shock made him forget that he has his own car.

“I… sorry… I don´t need a drive, I got a car” He says embarrassed when she gets up.

“Really?” She says surprised.

“My parents old car actually” He mutters.

“Cool, loved that jeep your parents and I used to get up without any idea of… Oh you shouldn´t listen to does stories” She says chuckling.

“What? Why?” He replies with grin.

“You´re too young” She laughs for herself and if she´s recalling the most funny story in the world. Stiles opens the door still thanking her, for saving his life when he spots a familiar face in a tiny square below the windshield.

“What´s that he asks?” Casually.

“Um… I´m in the case of the boy murdered in the woods, and I thought that maybe I could ask the people that were seen in that party if they saw anything weird that night, got a long night searching through this files”

“You haven´t find the beast already?” He says shocked, fear peering through his eyes.

“Don´t worry, I´m gonna find it” She says with grin.

“I hope you do” Stiles says getting out of the car.

“Take care Stiles, don´t scare me that way again” She says motherly and drives away, Stiles eyes still on Derek´s face in the top file below her windshield.

…….

Let´s face it, Allison sucks in archery she´s been practicing since she left Scott in the Lacrosse field and even thought she doesn’t fail her shots as awfully as she did her first time it is impossible for her to take down the 500 hundred feet penny that she can´t even see, maybe if she approaches a little… No! If she´s going to do it she´s going as her dad can… those crossbows… what is she trying to prove anyway? That she can have secrets too? That´s stupid. Is her third row of Arrows, and she´s tired of wandering in the forest looking for them every time she runs out of shots, so after this three left she´s going to pick up her stuffs and go home, Scott´s practice is taking more than usual probably because the coach fears their not ready. That building? What was her dad´s car doing there? It doesn´t make sense, it was pretty scary actually, it looked abandoned, the broken windows, the filthy steps all those trash bins full outside, it probably stinks like hell, and yet…. Ok last arrow, it´s time for a super lucky shot, like the one in the billiard, she´s not sure how she did it, but there has to be something, _remember Allison_ , that time she closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind which didn´t work couldn´t stop stating at her gripping in the cue, and then she just hit the ball, so it was luck after all, well there is still that feeling inside her as if she knew what she was doing, and that’s the same thing she needs to find right now if she wants to hit that elusive penny.

 _Focus,_ she says in her mind, she can do it, she knows she can do it, if she could see the penny at least, a tiny glimpse it could help her to know if she is aiming in the right direction, she squints and imagines that she can see the sunrays reflected in the coin, stretches the string and listens how it tightens, her elbow at the same level that her chin, the microscopic gleam in her mind´s eye, she breaths and her last arrow is gone, something burst in her chest, she knows something happened she´s too far too confirm but she runs, gasps, stumbles with some sticks that creaks beneath her, he stands panting and jogs, she´s almost there the surrounding trees rushing by her in blurry brown and orange shadows, she reaches the glade, the flat rock in the steep Lydia left the penny days ago, the coin is still there but is not up as she saw it when she started her training hours ago, it fell back maybe two or three inches but it is untouched, she missed, _damn_ she thinks with anger and some relief at the same time, _I´m not like him,_ says to herself glancing up looking of her arrow and then gasps and cover her mouth with a hand, the rock behind the flat one with the penny holds her arrow or at least she thinks it is, the only thing she can see is the tail´s feathers the rest of it is crusted deep inside the tough boulder, it is impossible, how could she do something like that? That´s not normal, the rough surface around the hole the arrow dug remains still, unharmed, not a simple crack on it, the breakthrough is fine perfect impossible, magnificent and overwhelming, maybe she wasn´t able to hit the penny she missed by inches but she definitely pierced something, inside that rock, and herself.  

…….

Damn Rick Yancey is insane for sure, he wants to keep reading but his eyes are tired, he closes the book and look around, it´s pretty dark, what time is it? Almost eight, _oh shit_ he hadn´t cook dinner, his dad is going to be home soon, now he understand why his stomach has being growling the whole time. He gets out of his bed and comes downstairs, it´s being crazy to think that just a couple of hours ago he was almost hit by a car, he took him a little to put the jeep´s engine on and drive home, after all what he has lived the last days is like… he´s near dead every day, is stupid to think, but the red eyes, the strangling in his same bedroom, and the car, if his dad knew about all that wouldn´t be reluctant to let him takes his Prozac, it helps it really helps if it wasn´t by it he would probably live frightened and sleepless his whole life and he can afford that, he must be strong for his dad, so instead of thinking about death threats or near death experiences he´s focusing on taking his pills to smile convincingly.

His plan has been working perfectly the last hours, the books keeps his mind busy, tho is hard to fight against the Prozac’s dizziness, but he´s doing well, after cooking he can read three more or twenty chapters and then just go to sleep with no more conspiracies that Rick Yancey´s story in mind. He opens the fridge, oh they need to get supplies, maybe he can do shopping the next day, he takes some carrots and onions, a tomato, lettuce, olive oil, and eggs, takes the carrots and onions to the sink and start peeling them, the cold air coming from outside is freezing his fingers so he leaps to close the window when he stops Scott´s mom coming out of their house and getting into her car, and the files comes to him again… He´s standing motionless staring the car while it shrinks away, his eyes instinctively look at Scott´s window, the lights are still out, _what the hell?_ Is he still in practice? Is their coach trying to kill them? Stiles breaths out and keeps peeling, now the onions, his eyes goes back to his friend house, why there was a file of Derek? Was he some kind of criminal? Or they made files of everyone in the party? Stiles shakes his head and cuts the tomato, was a file of him too? And Allison, Lydia and Jackson? _Focus Stiles_. His back in Scott´s window…. _Shit, shit, shit_ , thinks, he finishes peeling, rush to the kitchen and makes an omelet as fast as he can, he doesn´t have much time, so if he wants to discover if there´s a file of him he needs to be quick. When he finishes takes a plate and serves his dad dinner, his stomach growls, but he ignores it, he can eat later, takes the keys Mrs. McCall gave his grandparents years ago (they are like a big family after all, or at least were) and gets out of the house, jumps the fence, and stumbles to the front door, pokes the key and opens the door.

As he expected Scott isn´t home yet, ok now he just need to find the files his friend´s mom brought home with her, she said she would be pretty busy reading the files the whole night, so they must be somewhere inside the house, he rummages the kitchen and the dinner room and finds nothing, so there is only one place left in his mind, he runs upstairs and reaches the left door, he´s really going to break into her room? Stiles hesitates a second, he has already came this far he just can´t go without whatever he has come looking for, so he opens the door and hurls himself inside, isn´t like he hasn´t been there before, when Scott´s dad left, they used to sleep with her when they heard her crying in the middle of the night, she was too fragile by then. Stiles doesn´t have to seek much to find what he´s looking for, the pack of files are in her bed Derek´s is still in the top which means that she hasn´t read them yet, he takes the creepy guy´s file and puts it aside, and starts looking for his name and Allison´s, but surprisingly he doesn´t find them, neither Scott´s was, did it meant that in the station they didn´t knew they were in the party? What Scott tell his mom when they found him with his nose bleeding? He tries to recall, he said he was sleeping and woke up that way, it means that she doesn´t know he went to the rave, he keeps looking for and finds Lydia´s and Jackson´s file too, when he opens the girl´s understands why there isn´t a file for him, it has the girl´s testimony and a short list of data collected about her, her address and phone number, Jackson´s is the same he keeps looking and spots Lahey written somewhere he takes the folder and opens it, Isaac´s face stares at him from the picture, when he glance down finds that the data about him is larger than the others, a door is closed downstairs and Stiles´ heart skips a beat, he pokes out his phone and takes a picture of the information about Isaac, opens Derek´s file and takes another picture, and arranges the folders, there are steps outside, what to do?

“Mom?” Scott voice calls. “Mom?” Repeats, what the hell his friend is going to think if he finds him in his mother´s room alone? When the door screeches open Stiles is already below the bed, holding his breath, his heart pounding against his hears, he can see Scott´s calves, he still in his Lacrosse´s gear so if he´s lucky he will take a bath soon and he will be able to leave unnoticed.

Scott steps outside and closes the door behind him, Stiles breaths out with relief, but he can´t leave yet, not until he listens to the water rushing down from next door´s bathroom, so while he waits takes his cellphone and starts reading Derek´s statement, as Lydia´s, Jackson´s a probably everybody else´s it says that he heard an scream, and then came out of his cabin to find out what was it and found the woods crowded with teenagers fleeting in panic… wait a second, did he just said that he wasn´t in the party? Stiles is pretty sure he saw him there and Isaac too, he continues his reading and the… _god!_ Stiles gap and holds his breath again, that must be mistaken, he swallows picturing Derek´s life, blinks the tears away, it must be some kind of mistake, how wrong he has been about the guy, well not wrong, but now, but now, he feels pity about him, well he stills hate him for what he did to him but now…. _forget about it_ , he´s starting to regret reading the guy´s file in the first place, passes to Isaac´s in an attempt to erase reading from his mind when the water starts rushing down in the next door, Stiles comes out of his stash and reaches the door when listen Scott´s phone ringing, stays behind the door, the water stops rushing, steps in the hallway.

“Hey” Scott´s voice echoes in the hallway.

“No… just taking a bath”

“Yeah I´m pretty tired… but I can go… yeah tell Derek I´ll be there”

Stiles hears steps again and the water starts flowing once more.

So Scott is meeting with Derek and his friends that very same night, Stiles runs downstairs without looking back and before noticing his opening the door of his own home, breaths out with relief closing the door behind him, it was close, well enough Derek doesn´t know anything about the thing in the woods or else he would have tell the police, but then, why Isaac said that they did know? Stiles frowns and opens the boy´s file picture, he lives with Derek, but why? They aren´t related and Isaac families…. Stiles reads the rest of the file and the pieces of the puzzle starting fitting in his mind, he´s out of air, he´s chocking, it was a lie, everything has to be a lie, and Scott, Scott, _god! Scott,_ why him? Stiles runs the kitchen his friend is already jogging outside the house, Stiles tries to call him, but he doesn´t picks up the phone, _oh shit_

Stiles gets out of his house, gets into his car and drives following Scott´s track, _shit he runs fast_ , he can´t find him, _shit_ he needs to find him fast, he needs to save his friend before is too late, how´s that the police hasn´t seen it yet? It can´t be a coincidence there is something seriously wrong in here, _think Stiles,_ he says himself, if they are going to kill Scott they´re probably doing it in Derek´s cabin, Stiles dials Scott´s mom cellphone and she instantly picks it up.

“I can´t talk right now Stiles, I´m too busy sorry” Says and cuts the call, when he tries to dial again notices his battery is down. _DAMN IT_! Stiles steps in the gas, town spinning as he drives, lamppost turning into long steels in the rearview mirror, Scott has met them before right? He´s not sure, but it doesn´t make sense, but he needs to get him out of there.

Stiles is chocking, his heart is almost in his throat he´s breathless, but he´s near he´s sure there is an entrance near his old house, he had seen when he was a kid so he doesn´t have to look much to find it, but it has barricade tape, what to do, hits the steering wheel repetitively, he´s freaking out, _shit_ he breaks in, speeds up, the cabin is a mile away or so, he can almost see it´s lights far ahead, the road is a little muddy and abandoned so he finds some bumps, jumps in his seat,  turns left in the junction the thousand creaking sticks are making him feel uneasy it´s like crunching bones in the fire, the hair in the back of his neck rise, in the next turn he sees the cabin just a few feet away and then big shadow appears in the road, Stiles dodges, and stops the car right before hitting a tree, looks back but there isn´t anything at all no trees, not leaves, no shadow just blackness, almost as if the world behind him has been erased, he tries to steady his breathing, what the hell was that? A deer? It was huge? His heart can´t beat harder or else it will break his chest, he starts the engine again when something pulls him outside through the window. Stiles lets out cry of terror, his head meets the ground, then is pulled up again something hits him in the stomach, the world spins around him, someone kicks his head, a coppery taste in his mouth, keeps crying for help, spitting blood with every word, he pants, tries to hold a leg, it´s soft without cloth or hair, a woman? He can´t see anything, it´s all dark in there the only lights are the distant flickering ones in the cabin, no their not flickering, his eyes are, a wet and warm liquid slides down his forehead as he whimpers with every kick in his ribs.

“Help” Cries one last time, and a boot steps on his Adam’s apple, he gags, he´s lost, he´s lost, let´s out at last cry begging for help and then everything becomes even darker. 


	5. Fright Night

V

Fright Night

 

 

 

Allison rises her bow, squint a little, breaths and the arrow is already flying in the nothingness, is dead she can feel it, it is miles away from her jet she hops in few steps and find the burning red eyes, her shot straight up in the brow, blood dripping in thin crimson lines that shine like liquid rubies, a twig creaks behind, and her arrow is already in its scalp, a moan as brisk and short as the late autumn air, she breaths out, the whiff is the only thing she can see yet every target rests at her feet in tiny pools of blood, one hundred pairs blood-like shining eyes, she rejoices.

Allison gasps, she´s in her bed, her head throbs, her arms ache, probably because of the afternoon´s archery session, it have been crazy,  she has been thinking about her fine shot, the stark rock pierced by a simple arrow five hundred feet away, in her first tries she hasn´t even able to shot her arrow strong enough to get to three hundred feet and yet she did it, after that she staid, she tried back to achieve her amazing score but it was impossible for her to reach the four hundreds, they say her dad was able to hit a penny at five hundred, but is he able to cut a bold and hard rock the way she did? He´s probably able of that and even more, she knows there is something odd about her, something is not right, no human being should be able to do such a thing, and she as frightened as amazed by her skills, so she has a new goal, she wants to reach that instant inside her mind, when it gets cloudy yet thoughtless when that part of her that is wild and rouge, strong a wise takes her up, a be able to control it, to be one with it.

That dream, even though she was there, hunting and killing those creatures almost enjoining her butchery was too disturbing, it left a bad taste in her mouth, she was scared of the things in the wood, but even more or herself, the blood was thick and vivid that she almost could smell it and now she knows the reason, her jaw is clenched, and her tongue aches, the coppery taste remains in her, she bit her tongue in her dream, Allison sits in her bed, wedges her slippers and walks for the kitchen, she needs water, it is cold and itches a little in her tongue but it will help wash the blood, when she climbs back the stairs her dad´s snoring startles her, he´s sleeping quietly, loudly as if nothing bothers him, Allison stands outside his door, asking herself three unsettling questions, what is he hiding? Who is her dad? And an even more disturbing question….who is she?

…….

At the first, it´s just his head swaying, then he flutters his eyes open and finds himself caught into the darkness, but his blurry vision gets a glimpse of pair of snowy silhouettes staring at him, then everything comes to his mind, Stiles blinks and opens his mouth but one hand is already covering it, he blinks again and Isaac is there leaning over him his pale blue eyes shining with loath.

“Don´t scream” He mutters in threatening voice, Stiles chest throbs and then he notices that it is his heart beating hard against his ribs.

Stiles nods helpless, he´s surrounded he can´t escape it´s too late, but why they didn´t kill him while he was unconscious? He looks up, the sky is too dark, starless, there is no wind either, and the dirt must be mud because it is so soft that he almost feels like he´s lying on feathers, he´s in… in a bed, no not a bed… he´s in his bed, what the hell is going on?

Isaac unclasp his mouth, and Stiles hears a grunt, a crystal screeching and then the wind blows inside the room followed by a dull sound some feet below, someone just jumped from his window.

“What´s goin…” Stiles starts.

“You ruined everything” Isaac grunts in low voice, he´s being too careful to not make too much noise, it means that Stiles´ dad is probably home, maybe if he scream his dad might be able to save him, but what if Isaac is armed? Stiles would die before he could even say a word.

“Are you going to kill me?” He asks listless and then Isaac frowns anger leaping in his eyes.

“Why you´re so obsessed with me killing people? I just saved your nosey ass” He mumbles, his jaw is clenched, his lips are a fine line white as he presses them, there is no trace of the charismatic boy from the previous days.

“Because I know the truth” Stiles is so stupid, he shouldn´t have tell, maybe they would have leave him live, but now that he told Isaac there is no way they will, and he knows his suspicious are true because almost as instantly as the words were released from his chest Isaac face shifted from anger to panic.

“Did Derek killed your parents? Or you helped him?” Stiles is not sure if he´s being stupid or maybe he just gave up on life but the truth is that he can´t restraint himself, he wants to stop, to cry, to beg for his life, but he´s tired, he´s so done with it, and his dad, gosh he´s running everything, his dad won´t be able handle it.

Isaac breaths heavily and then Stiles bores his eyes on, the silvery moonlight is reflected by a single dangling tear beneath Isaac´s eyes.

“How can you be so heartless?” Isaac complains. “I didn´t killed my family it was an….”

“Unidentified animal” Stiles completes the sentence.

“Just like the ones in the town… As Derek you both lost everyone under strange circumstances”

“So it has too mean that we´re psycho killers? It haven´t come to your mind that maybe just maybe there are bad people out there? Truly scary and evil pieces of shit that doesn´t care about anything? That they are so fucking insane to rip your little sister´s throat in front of you and you had to lie about how your family died because if you tell the truth your ass would be locked down in the madhouse?”

Now Isaac is sniveling and Stiles feels like shit, he wants to apologize but instead…

“Then why did you try to kill me?” He says feeling how his head is still spinning.

“I didn´t tried to kill it was a warning” Isaac replies. “Your last one by the way” Adds sharply.

“A warning? I´m sure you broke my ribs” Stiles spits sarcastically.

“IT WASN´T ME” Isaac mutters rueful fisting his hands. “Derek told Erica and Vernon to make sure you didn´t get any closer”

“That bastard…” Stiles starts but Isaac cuts him.

“They misunderstood everything, Derek and I had to stop them before they killed you, he was so furious I thought he was going to kill them, but you´re fine and that´s the only thing that matters” and for the first time that night Isaac smiles. “But seriously you gotta stop getting yourself in trouble”

“It wasn´t my fault it was Scott that…” And then Stiles´ blood freeze. “Scott…” He…. Is he dead?”

Isaac shakes his head.

“He´s fine” He won´t say more, Stiles notices that Isaac knows he´s time there is over, he approaches the window, but Stiles can´t let him go, not yet, he needs to ask him so much more so he strains his arms from the bed gripping Isaac´s forearm but then he gaps and stares at Isaac startled.

“You´re burning! dude you must be above the one hundreds” Stiles says frowning but Isaac loose the grip and ignores him.

“Wait” He mutters. “What Scott is doing with you guys, is he in danger?” But it doesn´t matter how much more Stiles says, Isaac is long gone now, or he just didn’t want to answer his question. Stiles squints through the window next his bed, and glance two black shapes shrinking briskly in their way back the woods.

…….

Tomorrow is the big day, his first game as captain against Brook´s High bees, bees? What a stupid choice for a lacrosse´s team… yet they´d kicked the wolves´ asses since Scott can remember, so this is it… He´s anxious, he´s thrilled he is… fucking scared, he might have become a little star since they choose him as the captain, and yeah he´s popular now and have this hot girlfriend, but he might lose everything tomorrow if they doesn’t win the game, so his motto is kick their asses win his first game as captain and become even more popular than Isaac, it sounds so easy in his head, it´s a shame that Freddy keeps falling every day in the practice, he´s sick of having to run extra miles because of him, _shit is late!_

Scott gets out of bed, he´s a little dizzy, his mom is already gone, or had she at least came home last night? Scott is concerned, with all that creepy thing in the woods his mom won´t stop working her ass out, He knows it´s a big chance for her, she´s after something, but he barely see her now. Gets in the kitchen, he´s not hungry, so he might save the scrambled eggs -she left for him- for later. Opens the front door and the icy-wind makes him shiver, he better warms up quickly or he´ll freeze to death. He jogs to the encounter place near the wood line, the good news is he isn’t the last one, or else it would have been extra miles for him, the bad news is that Freddy is the last one, so it means extra miles for him after all, he better start acting like a captain, he knows the coach teases him to make him be harder with his team, but Freddy is to short-legged, and clumsy, he kind of reminds him about Stiles, despite the zits, and he couldn´t be an ass with him ever, so he has to pay the price, at least Isaac and Jackson always get to do the extra miles with him even when It isn´t their responsibility it’s a good thing, they´re good friends not like Tacker, everyone hates Tacker, he just complains about Freddy, or Isaac or someone else, yup there is always someone in Tacker´s sight, how he is too bonehead, Scott has thought about kick his eyes once or twice, but his mom… whatever, the only thing he has to do is stay out of his way, after ten minutes of waiting Freddy finally shows up, he looks tired he probably woke up late, and had to run to be at time which means he´s already tired, and ten minutes means ten more miles for Scott, damn maybe it was time to be a little harder with him after all.

The coach blows the whistle and they start jogging, Isaac is already next to Scott and in no time he will overpass him, so Scott accelerates feeling Jackson´s strange cologne at his heels, he needs to go faster, in no time he´s sweating and with some relief his body is already starting to warm up, Isaac is on front again, how do he do it? He´s faster than anyone and Scott it´s pretty sure he hasn´t see his whole potential, he just likes to tease him.

By seven Scott is back home, needs a shower he can´t stink any harder, luckily there´s no hint of Stiles outside so he still has time to bath before getting in his friend jeep, he opens the front door and is suddenly knocked by something inside him… there is someone in his house, he´s not sure how, but…. He _knows_ it, there is someone upstairs even though they´re not doing any noise, Scott tilts his head, the patrol isn´t outside, so it can´t be his mom, Scott stealthy walks upstairs taking care to not make any noise, who could be? How can he be so sure that there is someone inside the house? What is this disturbing feeling he´s having? Scott opens his room´s door with a kick and Stiles jumps on his feet almost dropping the odd medicine bottle that Derek gave him.

“Stiles!” Scott grunts. “You scared me!”

“I scared you?” Stiles snorts. “You´re the one who gets in like a maniac”

“This is my room!” Scott complains. “What are you doing anyway?”

Stiles suddenly stops, and looks in both directions as if he means to cross the street, Scott meets his eyes, the hollows are deeper today, and he´s pretty sure he has been taking Prozac again.

“Stiles… are you ok?”

“No I´m not!” The boy lets out suddenly and Scott´s heart skips a beat, what could have happened?

“But… Stiles… what…”

“Listen” His friend says hurriedly.

“Scott you can´t see Isaac or Derek ever again” Scott is sick of… “I know what you´re gonna say, but they´re after something Scott, they´re somehow related with the thing that killed the guy in the woods”

 _What_? Scott thinks, Stiles is losing it, he´s losing his mind, Scott needs to talk with his dad right away.

“Um… Stiles… I think we should call your…”

“You don´t believe me” Stiles pins on. “You have to believe Scott, Isaac practically say it to me a couple of hours ago”

“What were you doing with Isaac in late-night hours?” Scott frowns confused, and there it comes… _the talk_ , it´s time for the talk already? Scott is not ready to have the talk with Stiles, at least not now, especially when´s acting so eerie, and when Scott thinks that this conversation can´t get any odder, then Stiles makes it possible.

“I followed you last night” Says the boy embarrassed.

“Followed me?” Scott replies with bewilderment, Stiles eyes are out of his sockets now.

“I followed you ok? I followed you into the woods” Scott reaches Stiles and presses his hand against his temple, his temperature is fine, so he really believes what he says, this is not good, not good at all.

“Scott! You´re burning like… like Isaac”

Ok time to freak out. “Stiles I think you need to rest…”

“NO! Scott you´re not listening to me, there is something really bad about those guys ok? Stop lying I followed you I saw you get in”

“I didn´t go to the woods last night!” Scott yells, he´s can´t help but get angrier and angrier every minute, why is Stiles making up all this? “If you followed me... Why you didn´t take a picture huh? Or called my name?”

“They didn´t let me see you” Stiles says with anger, his ears reddening.

“Who?” Scott frowns.

“Erica and Vernon, they attacked me, they started kicking me in the chest, in the head, there was blood anywhere look what they did with my head” Stiles gasps, his right hand in his chest, he´s bawling as if he were recalling the most scariest thing in his life, Scott almost believes him, but then he looks at him, there is nothing, his skin is healthy as always, there is not even the tiniest scar on him, what´s going on with him? Why he´s making up all this?

“Yeah? Why I can´t see anything? Where are the scars? Where are your broken bones?” Scott grumbles, he has no time for this, this is insane.

And the Stiles gaps, and touches his forehead, then runs to the mirror in Scott´s dresser, and blank as a ghost stares at his reflection, his lower lip trembles, then he looks back at him.

“You have to believe…” Starts in a low voice.

“Go away Stiles I have to take a bath”

“But Scott… I´m telling you”

“OUT!” He screams, and Stiles leaves the room shuffling and his head down.

Stiles has been under a lot of pressure, it isn´t fair, why this have to happen to his best friend? Scott knows he needs to talk with Stiles´ dad, and tell him about the pills, he needs help, he made out such a big story in his mind, and it looks like he really believes what he´s saying, is disturbing and unsettling the way he looked at him so sure of his words while he told him that he followed him last night into the woods, Scott didn´t went to the woods last night, it would have been stupid with the police and the wild animal in there, he just came home after practice and…. He came home… and get in the shower and….then he… he…. Why he can´t remember what he did last night?

…….

The box! That´s what Allison needs to find, her dad moved it, but if she finds it she will have her proves…. Proves of what? Isn´t like she´s going to tell the police isn´t she? Everything is so confusing, the man who rose her, who cooked, washed her clothes, who got her the car, who hold her hand in her mom´s funeral was a complete stranger, and she wish she could just ignore this but she can´t he isn´t hiding a relationship or a shameful liking for some teen idol, no he´s hiding guns, and is secretly visiting an apartment downtown, so she needs to get the box, get into the apartment and find whatever else is he hiding and then face him, he won´t deny anything if she shows him some of the guns, he won´t any choice but tell the truth, or is going to kill her? _Come on Allison is your dad you´re talking about_ , she says to herself to calm down a little, her dad isn´t going to kill her, is her dad for Christ sake, he wouldn´t hurt a fly right? Then what for are all those weapons?

“You look pale” Scott murmurs, a slight smile on his face.

“Sorry, I just got a little distracted” She excuses, looking fixing her eyes on him, his smile widens and she can´t help but a smile back, her plate is almost empty, she can´t remember but apparently has been eating while she thought about her dad.

“A penny for your thoughts” He murmurs, he´s seems more self-confident, that´s a good thing.

“I´m, just thinking about the game” She mutters with a grin. “I´m sure you´re gonna win”

“Yeah? How can you be so sure?” Scott frowns.

“Because you guys have this player, is a great guy, he´s fast he´s strong, he´s the best player I´ve ever seen” She teases.

“Yeah? How is that I don´t know this guy yet?” Scott replies giggling.

“And he´s so hot” Allison adds faking Lydia´s high pitched voice.

“Oh starting to get jealous” Scott says and approaches to touch her lips with his.

“Oh my god! I ship you guys so bad, did I told you before?” Lydia´s interrupts sitting with them. Allison and Scott let go embarrassed noticing all the eyes in the cafeteria on them.

Jackson sits next to her, he looks a little unease and surprisingly quite to be him, it´s seems like the calm´s anxiety before the storm has officially taken him, tomorrow the whole team would be like him.

“So are you guys planning to disguise as wolves for the game?” Lydia asks.

“What? No! Why we would do that?” Jackson says grimacing.

“It´s Halloween duh!” Lydia chuckles and Scott shakes his head.

“Oh come on where is your festive spirit?” Allison agrees laughing.

“Were not going like wolves we´re gonna like idiots” Jackson replies.

“Speaking of” Lydia says scowling. “Where is Stiles?”

 _Stiles_? Allison thinks, and then she recalls, he was right behind her after chemistry, where is he right now, she glances up to look at Scott but Lydia spots the boy first.

“There he is” She says with a smiling waving at him behind Allison´s back, she twists her neck and finds him staring at his tray alone in a table in the back of the room. “What is he doing there?” She says confused.

“Aren´t you guys making fun of him right?” Lydia says in a chastise tone.

“What? Why? No!” Jackson hurries to reply. “Why we would do that?”

“You guys are jocks, he´s kind an outcast there is no need of much math in here” She says self-sufficient.

“It wasn´t me” Jackson assures, “I like Stiles I wouldn´t do anything like that to him”

“Then why he didn´t sat with us?”

“It´s because of me” Scott says with loath in his voice.

“Why? Did you guys had a fight?” Allison says concerned, did Scott hurt Stiles?

“No… umm…. I don’t know… he has been acting weird lately… and this morning after running he was in my run telling me things that Isaac has something to do with the dead guy in the woods, and that I should no talk to him anymore… it´s disturbing”

“How do you know he´s lying?” Lydia says shocked.

“He says someone tried to kill him last night… I don´t know, he doesn´t have any bruises… it´s all too weird… too… I´m really worried about him… since his mom…. You know… maybe he should speak with someone”

Scott eyes turns gauzy as his voice cracks, Allison holds his hand below the table and squeezes hard, it´s true since Stiles told her about speaking with Isaac about the shirt he´s being acting weird, he told her that Isaac didn´t know anything, and she knew he was lying, and now this…. What if he´s losing his mind after all? Allison turns back again and the time he stands from his seat, throws his untouched food in the trash bin and walks straight to the exit.

…….

At lunch most of the bathrooms are empty so when Stiles stumbles inside isn´t surprise by its calm, it’s good, the clatter in the cafeteria is overwhelming, he´s still stunned by Scott´s reaction he knew he wouldn´t believe him at once but he thought that maybe, after showing him what they did… Stiles looks at his reflection in the mirror´s before the sinks, it doesn´t make sense, he should have bruises all over his body, at least some pain but there isn´t anything no wound or clue of what happened to him last night, it´s frustrating is he really mad? Is he imagining it all over? Is Scott right, maybe he needs help and should…no he didn´t sleep last night because he couldn´t he was so shocked, so it wasn´t a nightmare, but then it means that something happened… somehow his body heal, in the mirror the only disconcerting thing he can see is his eyes, sunken by another sleepless night, by tiredness and fear glazed over, he need answers, he needs them and he knows where he´s gonna find them. Stiles presses his lips a thin line shoves his hands in his pockets and takes a pill and checks his watch, it´s time.

He gets out of the bathroom with a new look in his eyes, determination. The hallways are already crowded but he manages to spot Isaac walking with his usual gait toward his next class, Stiles jogs to him and grabs him by the arm, Isaac spins his head toward him scowling.

“We need to talk” He blurts out before the words come to his mind, Isaac blinks twice let go and keep walking. “I´m serious” Stiles continues walking by him passing next to a couple of cheerleaders that giggle when Isaac smile at them.

“Isaac…”

“I´m not talking to you” Isaac grunts dryly.

“What? Why?” Stiles says angry getting in his way, Isaac takes him by the forearm and tugs him in a less crowded corridor.

“You´re Still asking why?” Stiles says with a wounded look.

“Oh” Stiles understands now. “Look I´m sorry about what I´ve said about your family… it´s just”

“Save it I don´t care… I told you to stay out of trouble and you didn´t listen to me… I can´t save your ass anytime you have a suicide wish” He says harshly and Still chest starts aching again, almost feeling the boot crushing his Adam’s apple.

“I don´t… have any suicide whishes I just… I was worried about Scott…”

“I don´t care monkey… I´m sorry but”

“Why Scott doesn´t remember going into the woods last night?” Stiles asks and there is what he was looking for… a flash of bewilderment in eyes azure eyes.

“Why I don´t have any bruises?” He continues his face hardening with every word, it sounds so stupid to even pronounce those sentences, but there isn´t any other explanation something weird is going on.

And then he chuckles.

“What are you mocking at?” Stiles demands angrily, feeling his heartbeat at the ears.

“You sound like a psycho” Isaac says sharply, his eyes hard as stone. “I wonder what would happen if someone listen all the crap that comes from your mouth I´m pretty sure you´d be locked down for good in a blink. Now listen me Monkey, stay out of our way and Scott´s”

“You can´t…” Stiles starts but Isaac cuts him out.

“Especially tomorrow…. I don’t wanna see your pretty butt tomorrow… you hear me? Or I´ll call Erica and Vernon and well maybe you can heal your body back” He laughs. “But I´m pretty won´t forget” Then turns on his heels and goes away.

…….

After school Allison is heading to her training place when she notices that the playing field is empty, well not exactly empty, from her spot Allison catches sight of the janitor cleaning up the bleachers.  

“Hey” Scott´s voice calls behind her, Allison can´t help but jump in her place her heart gives a lurch and she lets out a sheer squeal.

“You scared me” She reproaches.

“Um… sorry I didn´t mean to… I just saw coming here and I…” He says flatly.

“What are you doing here anyway? I thought you guys would train harder than ever” She asks her eyes slightly drifting in the woods were the penny was awaiting for her.

“Coach want us as fresh as possible so there is no practice today” He explains.

“Oh” Allison says and then feels his eyes on her, he knows she disappointed, but she can´t tell him she expects to train a little more and then spy her dad.

“I´m not saying that…” Scott tries to say but she cuts him off.

“Wanna go the arcade?” She proposes with a smirk.

“I didn´t know you liked those kind of things” He says stunned.

“What? Are you scared I´m gonna beat your butt again?” She chuckles and then he laces his hand with her.

“I´m pretty sure I´m gonna beat you this time”

They get in the car and Allison turns on the engine, driving to the entertainment center, taking an alternative way of course she wants to check up if her dad´s car is outside that building again, surprisingly for her it isn´t so went Scott suggest that maybe she´s lost she takes back the main road discouraged, she wants to forget about the whole issue, luckily when she´s with Scott is easy for her to drive her mind away, he´s nice and his constant concern for making her feel comfortable makes her feel special, but she knows soon or later he´ll feel with enough rights to ask her about her wobbling lip or her constant frowning, he´ll ask and she won´t know what to do or say, meanwhile she wants to enjoy the time she has with him the only part of her life that´s normal, since their arrive things have went crazy and she doesn´t want to let go the caring feeling that Scott´s puppy eyes offer her.

She whish she could feel comfortable enough with Scott to tell him the truth, but let’s face it there is no way a girl can tell her boyfriend that her dad – from whose back they've been secretly dating - may be a serial killer without getting the boy totally freaked out, so her other option for unburdening her load is Stiles, but he has his own issues, and to be honest she´s really concerned about him, she knew he was lying when he told her that Isaac didn´t know anything about thing in the woods, but she didn´t thought he might obsess the research, and after what Scott told her, she´s really, really concerned about her friend, that thing, that connection she feels with him is stronger every day and she can almost feel his fear and frustration and she wish she could help but she can´t do anything whatever is going on with him she is as screwed at him and there is nothing one could do for the other.

She stops the car in the mall´s parking lot, and huge but lacking of stile building with a plain green facade, Allison can´t help but snort inside, thinking about her dad´s design skills and wondering if he had ever designed a building after all. They come inside and she breaths out happily is warn inside, the long hallways crowded with people getting mostly candies and disguises for Halloween, even the angel in the fountain in the center of the square has joined the celebration wearing rub horns on his rock´s hair. Scott takes her by the hand and they approach the arcade. It is an dark run, full games and even fuller with kids and some teenagers, suddenly it isn´t look like a good idea considering the lack of girls in the place, in the ceiling there are shifting lights that spin all around making her think that maybe they ended up in a club. In the counter Scott gets the coins for them and leads her to Charred Wheels an old fashioned racing eight bits videogame, Allison is startled of how long it survived through generations and decades, probably hipsters like Jackson have kept it working all these years.

Scott sit ins his place facing the screen after throwing her a challenging look, she can´t help but chortle, he´s too competitive and geek, and strong, and puppy eye adorable, and funny all at once, there she is finding fascinating Scott´s virtues that on other guys would like flaws, and then she notices, the race already started, _taking advantage of your stupid puppy eyes Hu?_ Allison smirks and puts her hands in the steering wheel.

.......

When his dad opens the door he´s startled by looking at him, Stiles isn´t used to see his dad in the afternoons anymore, there is surprisingly a lot of work in the hospital every day, so he takes his eyes off from his book and stares at him, his dad looks… Healthy.

“What happened to you?” The man says concerned.

“What?” Stiles replies scowling.  

“Your eyes, you haven´t sleeping well” He points out.

“Oh, I was… just…. Had lot of homework lately” _Nothing like being scared as shit or afraid of never waking up again._

“Are you sure is just that?” His dad frowns.

“Yeah, nothing to worry about” He assures. “What are you doing here so early by the way?” He hurries to change the subject, he feels like he´s going to lose it anytime, if his dad keeps asking he won´t be able to hold the tears back anymore, his dad won´t believe him as Scott, and now Isaac is being a total jerk, he wants to believe in him, that they aren´t doing anything wrong, but he can´t, he exhausted and feels so lonely, he wish he could talk with someone who believes in him, and Allison looks like the clear option, but she´s with Scott she will be in his side.

“Um… I just came for some clothes, I´m spending the night in the emergency alley, wanna be free tomorrow for the big game” He says a little ashamed.

“Game?” Stiles mumbles.

“Scott´s” His dad explains. “Aren´t you going to Miss Scott´s game right? It’s really important to him, he needs familiar faces in the crowd”

“I will be there” Stiles says with an empty smile, his dad is such a good guy, he knows he´s doing this because of the lack of Scott´s dad in his life, and yeah he would like to be there for his best friend, are they still friends? He´s angry with Scott for not believe in him, for overreacting, he´s angry with everyone, just…tired…. When his dad leaves the room, he takes another pill and bore his eyes back in his reading, his eyes glazes and his breathing gets hitched, this is it he can´t hold it anymore, the tears come and come he gasps, whims and then he just falls sleep.

…….

This is embarrassing to say but they have been playing like for four hours already, she didn’t thought they would have so much fun playing that racing game but they actually did, so Scott is one of those guys who kept the game at date, it´s none of their dates haven´t been like an actual date, she´s pretty sure that at some point in the third most of guys would haul themselves over you rip out all your clothes but Scott isn´t way, he´s a gentleman and somehow that´s really call and attractive, well a pretty childish gentleman but it´s cool actually he somehow finds the way to keep her min busy so she can´t avoid thinking about how messed up is her life, his funny remarks about she handles the steering wheel, or his scowling faces when he lose against her, they are… cute… ok maybe Scott isn´t just a distraction maybe Allison is falling really falling and she likes the feeling, like when she smirks for nonsense and then she feels a tiny knot in her stomach. So they had play air hockey, Whac-a-mole and some fighting games, she is silly but they have been keeping track of the scores and now they are 11 against 10 and Scott is winning of course, she wants to beat him, so she suggests to get rematch at Charred Wheels, but as soon as Allison sits…

“A think we should go” Scott says in low voice, his brow crested.

“Oh no, we´re not leaving until I beat you up” Allison says devilishly, but Scott stands, it´s freezing but now cool she can see a sweat´s drop glistening in his temple, has something just happened? “Scott?” She says standing and then perceives how he looks with the corner of his eyes to her right, yet cranes her neck, before her there is bunch of people staring at the games´ screens but whey then is Scott as pale as if he just saw a ghost?

He offers her his hand, and she squeezes tight to comfort him, as he leads her outside, when they leave the entertainment center behind the first thing she notices is that is pretty dark already, and the mall is even more crowded than before so have to push aside the people as they walk back to the parking lot, Allison almost drops her coke in the way. When they reach the threshold Scotts sights and she frowns.

“What was all that?” She asks with concern.

“You must be Scott” A high pitched voice says making the boy to shudder and look at the parking lot, three boys are closing the path for them, all of them wearing long black and yellow lacrosse´s shirts with a loosely drawn Bee in the middle.

“Look I don´t wanna…” Scotts starts with shacking voice but the one in the center cuts him off.

“Is that your girl Scott? Isn´t she too hot for you?” Says with a disgusting snicker showing all his crooked teeth, his eyes undressing her, suddenly Allison is feeling sick, and then she understands they are part of the team Scott´s is facing tomorrow and they want Scott to start a fight so they can get him out of the game before it even starts.

“So… you´re really trying this? Get him off of the game, why you are so scared?” Allison says casually.

“Allison…” Scott voice is calm no, but is a tiny line almost unperceptive for her ears. “If I do something I might…”

“What a pretty mouth don´t you think guys?” The jerk says and the other two chuckle, “I wonder how pretty it would look wrapped on my…”

“Allison get inside” Scotts mutters while a couple of costumers passed by to get to their cars.

“Come then, let´s see your that littler finger between your legs” Allison says sharply, she´s frightened but she has to do something, if Scott hits them he´s out of the game, if they kick the crap out of him he´s out of the game, it isn´t fair, she chews her lip, she can do this, she can, _stay focus_ says to herself staring at the guy´s hands.

“Allison” Scott puts a hand in her shoulder and push her back, but it´s too late, the jock is already over them, he reaches a hand softly in her wavy hair to get the strand away from her face, she knows what´s he thinking, he´s thinking that they won, that Scott is helpless and they can do anything they want with her, when the hand leans to touch her face, Allison quickly hurls herself forward, grabs him by the wrist and twitches it, she delights herself listening to his wail as he kneels, she pulls his wrist more a more back, if she continues soon will hear a high pitched moan and then a snapping bone, jerks his arm and attaches it to his back, hears steps and throws stark look back, they won´t come any longer she can see one´s lower lip wobbling, she´s tempted to let out a loud laugh but no none would hear it anyway it would probably get muffled by the guy´s groans that are already scattering people outside the mall.

Finally she let go and he pants quickly standing, one of his companion pads his back as he shakes his hand with a grimace on his face, she smirks with hatred and they look despitefully at her.

“You´re fucked kid, I´m going to report…” He starts but Allison is faster.

“Yeah! Go and tell coach how a helpless girl kicked out your butt!” Allison yells and there stares ashamed at Scott and the audience startled faces, then looks back at the jocks, one of them is about to crackle but he´s smart enough to do it. They stare at them with loath and then jog out of the parking lot as the crowd burst in jeers.

Allison takes Scott´s hand and leads him to her car, she´s not in the mood for more games, she´s actually scared Scott is too quiet, the sudden silence is overwhelming her, and he doesn´t speaks as they reach the car, his voice is still low but far more embarrassed than before.

“Allison I´m really sorry” He mutters and she chuckles but stops when she see the rue in his eyes.

“Oh no Scott, I´m not mocking at you, I was just about to say the same that´s all” She replies blushing.

“Why do think you should apologize? You saved us” He lets out with a grin.

“Yeah, but I looked like a total skank” She laughs and does too _._

“No you didn´t what you did was awesome, It was a like a ninja movie” He explains and now his amber eyes gleam as usual, Allison can´t help to feel pleased. “It should have been me protecting you” regrets.

“No you couldn´t, those guys do this all the time right?” She asks and he nods. “I´m pretty sure they won´t in a while”

“I feel like a loser” Scott adds glancing down, and she can´t help it, the knot is tighter, he´s so… she´s not sure anymore what she likes about Scott, but her lips are faster than her mind and before she can even agree that she wants to she already kissing him, his hands come up and take her by the back of her head to press her closer and she sights while she feels the tip of his tongue touching her lips his hot and thick breading on her, once again he´s a different person, that wild and rough guy with the calloused hands and the snarls while they kiss, the she feels a rush of adrenaline, she´s not falling she fell and there is no turning back, she likes Scott and there is nothing she can do about it.

“That was…” He says breathless as they break apart.

“I know” She agrees, she doesn´t hear any more, she knows what he meant whatever he felt she felt it too. She puts on the engine and puts the car in reverse, it´s pretty late Scott needs to rest and she needs to get home.

“How did you do that anyway?” Scott wanders as she gets on the road.

“My dad used to taught me self-defense techniques when I was younger, just for fun”

“Wow, so your dad is kun-fu master?” She doesn´t need to look at him to know that he´s swallowing hard.

“No he´s an architect” She says chuckling, taking a corner to get Scott home, it must feel intimidated for being driven home by his girlfriend, usually is the opposite in most of the relationships, but Allison doesn´t mind, she likes it actually.

“So how did he learn all that´s stuffs?” Scott says frowning and then Allison grinds to a halt, the cars behind her sound their horns and many pass by them making obscene gestures to her as they drive away, but she doesn´t matter Scott´s words made _click_ on her.

“Allison what happened?” Scott says alarmed, she comes back to reality and presses the pedal.

“Um… nothing I just forgot that I´m out of milk” She says flatly, getting into Scott´s neighborhood, he´s right, her dad, he taught her all that when she was a little girl, and it wasn´t for fun, it wasn´t for killing time, it was for something else, ok this is creepy enough, she needs to find that box and face her dad once and for all.  

…….

His not sure why his mom is so angry, just that it has something to do with throwing rocks in the river with Scott, so when Stiles gets back home she scolds him, after that he just stays in his room upset awaiting for the red eyes to show, but they never come, instead his mom shows up again holding a tray from school, that day lunch was going to be eaten at home, Stiles eats eagerly while he tells his mom about the arguing Scott and him had, and how Scott reacted.

“That doesn´t make any sense” Stiles says suddenly and his mom chuckles.

He opens his eyes groggily a slight grin in his lips, he still can almost feel his mom with him, is the first time he dream about her, since… All his memories are coming back and with them the aftertaste of all he had live the past days, he rolls in his bed, it´s pretty early he got a few hours before school and it´s still too dark outside, so he fasten his head in the pillow and close his eyes, he wants to see his mom again, no matter how crazy his story would´ve sounded he´s sure she would have believed in him.

…….

She waited long enough in silence, her dad got home a couples of minutes later than she did, and he brought dinner, so it meant she could stop pretending being late in cooking for being studying hard for chemistry, they ate in silence and Allison awaited, seconds, minutes and hours until he fell asleep and even a little more just to be sure he wouldn´t wake up suddenly and find her digging in his things.

So Allison got a few ideas about where the box can be, but first she tries back in the basement hoping that maybe he decided to put back behind the fake wall, but when she flips the board apart finds the stash empty, she chews her lip and thinks, her dad built the house years ago even before she was born, and left this empty wall in the basement on porpoise so, his secrets are not a new thing, so all those trips and moving outs are somehow related to whatever is he doing back in Beacon Hills, and he taught her self-defense just in case things could get screwed which brings her back to the house, it has to have more fake walls somewhere, did her mom know about all this? It sounds silly her mom is… then her stomach plunges down like in a free fall, she know where is the box, the only place her dad is pretty sure she wouldn´t look after, the attic, it has all her mom´s belongings.

Allison isn´t sure if this is a good idea, she hasn´t being in the attic since they packed up everything and left it up there so many years ago and then moved out of the town, she still can remember how broken they were and she is afraid that if she opens that hatch all the feelings they locked down might scape and haunt them forever. But she can´t help it anymore she wants to know the truth about her dad she can´t live this way anymore. So she smoothly shuffles in the hall next her dad´s room, in the corner is the handle, and takes the perch that still awaits since the last time they drop it there, she grips it hard and unroll the attic´s stairs, a thick dust cloud slowly slopes covering all around Allison, she needs to clean up when she´s done if she doesn´t want her dad to find out, she hesitates one last time and climbs up, as her head comes up from the hole is the lack of air and the amount of dust flying straight to her nostrils, she cover her mouth and nose with a hand while with the other shakes her phone to turn on the flashlight, instantly shadows are drawn all over her and she shivers, close her eyes and takes a deep breath, flutter them open again, at her right are dresses, right after the matching footwear, and the three large boxes where they had put the rest of her things, but there is not creepy treasure chest in sight, fuck if isn´t in here it means that she´s right and her dad made more than one fake wall, or maybe…maybe is in a place that he doesn´t know she knows that exists, the downtown apartment.

She sighs disappointed, and stare at her mom dresses, she´s not scared anymore, just sad, she wish her mom could be there to tell her that her dad isn´t a bad guy, that she´s just misunderstanding everything but her mom is dead and all what remains is just her clothes and personal stuffs, Allison opens the first box inside there is a pretty ratty book with dark carving in the outside, she drops it aside, she´s not sure what she´s looking for but she wants something small and useful, something she can carry on with her to remind her that her mom still loves her, that she knows how she feels and to tell her that everything is going to be fine, below all pictures, and more books she finds her mom jewel´s box, takes her mom favorite silver bracelet put the rest of the jewel´s aside and catches a glimpse of a small brown leather book, she takes her in her hand it´s a passport, she opens it and her mom stares at her, all beautiful as peaceful as she remembers her she´s about to pack it back when spots another one below where she found the first, she takes it, is her mom again wearing… a wig? Wait a second that´s not her mom´s name, Allison holds her breath and looks back at the first one, that isn´t her mom´s name either, Allison can´t feel the ground beneath her anymore, she´s in free fall, trapped in nothingness her heart throbbing in seconds her breath gets out of control, she´s sniveling, covering her mouth with a hand more and more passports lay below, not just her mother´s, everything is a lie, her whole life, there are many girls with her face and many men with her dad´s and none have the same name, she drops the documents and fall back on her butt, tears flowing down, she´s breathless, stunned and confused, everything about her is fake, and she can´t take it anymore, her mom and dad kept secrets from her, her whole life and now she isn´t even sure if they´re even her parents after all. 

…….

It is 3:00pm the sun is shinnying the air is colder than yesterday but Scott is warm, no warm, he is on fire, burning, his blood boils he feels like if he opens his mouth his blood will come out in a gauzy crimson cloud up to the air, why he´s so angry anyway? He´s not exactly sure, maybe it has something to do that he had no chance to talk with Allison in school, or because she has to save his ass the day before or maybe because of the way Stiles has been acting or because he didn´t came to see him, or because Tackler has been the whole day grunting shuffling away like he´s sure that their gonna lose the game because of him, his jaw is clenched so tight his canines are hurting him like if they were larger than usual.

A whistle is blown, and then the world comes in slow motion, he cranes his neck toward the crowd and spots Allison take a place followed by a man in the bleachers, who is him? Her dad? And he is greeting his mom, do they know each other? Scott twitches his head back in the game and it is a mayhem, the guys from the mall are already lunging toward him, he wants to snap their necks with his own hands, he feels like he can do it, he wants to they deserve it, all the previous captains had to stand their shit, but not Scott, Scott is different he´s better, he is strong, and he´s furious, they are almost there, he´s pretty sure Isaac got the ball and is about to score, but he´s not their target, Scott is, they are almost there, Scott is anxious there is a coppery taste in his mouth, he nipped his tongue in his arousal, he´s thirsty he wants to hear them moan like wounded animals and see blood streaming down their necks and… What´s going on with him? Oks blinks, they are almost over him, he flips on his feet and easily dodges them in seconds he´s already next to Isaac he passes him the ball and that´s how they make the game´s first score, but what the hell happened back there?  

…….

After a long arguing and pretending being really busy with homework his dad won and Stiles had to come to the stupid game, to see the stupid Scott score his stupid points helped by the stupid Isaac and who is stupidly ignoring him as if he didn´t exist, but the stupid game is far from being boring, he spots Allison sitting next to a man with a long coat who must be her dad and next to them is Scott´s mom and a next to her is doctor Deaton and Marin.

“Guys you came” Scott mom says excited waving at them to take sit, Allison shuffles in her seat and stares at Stiles and there is, the spark! No forget the spark, it´s like a thunder going through his body his body, he stops short holding his breath and she is too, her terrified face must a reflection of his own, yet he´s doing his best to quickly wash the pain away from his face, what the hell was that? Allison, she is upset no she´s about to panic, something happened, but what? How do he knows all this? That feeling in his chest, he was used to it to the tiny fascinating spark, he never thought it could turn into something so painful and scary, and he´s not sure why or how she felt his thing too, what´s happening to him, not the whole board but a glimpse of how screwed things are.

“Stiles” His dad asks staring at him, and suddenly everyone is too, he blushes and hurries to sit next to Allison.

“Isn´t is great? We are all together” Scott´s mom says with a big grin.

“Longshot! I didn´t know you were back” Stiles´ dad says staring at Allison´s how did he called him? Longshot? Is that a nickname?

“Came back a month ago” The man says politely.

“Allison wow! You´re so big, last time I saw you, you still played dolls” Allison glance at Stiles´ dad and smirks embarrassed, she probably doesn´t know him, but then they exchange looks, their parents known each other, they were friends when they were teens.

“Stiles is nice to see you” Mr. Argent says offering a hand to him, Stiles awkwardly shakes it. “So you know each other?”

Allison and Stiles nod.

“That´s weird” Scott mom says frowning handling beers to the other parents. “Our kids are as close as we were”

“He´s gonna do it again!” Marin says pointing at the field and Stiles looks where she´s pointing, and then is when Scott scores again, they are winning, Allison and him stand acclaiming him and the rest of the team, but there is no joy in the girls eye and probably either in his, they know they need to discuss the electric charge they just felt, it was too big, painful, and somewhat sad to just ignore it.

…….

  There are a couple of things well maybe thousand going through her mind right now, like the fact that Stiles´ dad and her were friends at high school, the overwhelming electricity charge she just felt and that she´s pretty sure Stiles felt too, the man next to Scott´s mom, that for some reason looks familiar to her and his daughter who don´t detach her eyes from her, in other hand is Scott and his aggressive moves like if he´s a total different person, she would had like to tell him to kick their butts before the game but her dad insisted in coming with her and they got late and of course her dad and all his secrets the deeper Allison digs in her family´s trash more scarier and confusing things come, she´s losing her mind she knows it, it doesn´t make sense all what´s going on, Stiles and that lightning she felt it, she knows something terrible happened to him, but she isn´t sure what is it, but he needs her, she can feel it, for some reason it has something to do with her but she´s not sure yet, gosh her head is about to explode she wish she could be behind the field into the woods fruitless shooting arrows to the penny.

In a blink Beacon´s wolves are crushing down the bees and the halftime entertainment starts, and Allison is happy to see the cheerios jogging into the field, Lydia is among them, leading them after all everyone is school calls her the bitchleader, they start their routine, Allison chuckles with their moves and can see that Stiles almost chokes with his soda when the girls make a pretty obscene gesture, Allison wonders is Lydia is going to pay for it later but she doesn´t look like she cares she´s having a good time and the crowd too, people stand laughing and clapping their hands when they are done bowing to the multitude, for a brief instant she almost forget how screwed her life is.

…….

Crossing legs isn´t working, staring at the almost finished game either Stiles can´t stop fancying about toilets he needs to pee and he needs to do it now, no one is going to miss him everyone is concentrated in the game and Beacon´s wolves are winning anyway so Stiles stands and suddenly feels Allison hand in his sweater squeezing tight he turns at her, she´s asking him a question with her eyes, and some way he manages to reply with his, _don´t worry I´ll be back._  

“Wait a second…” Stiles hears a manly voice say. “Are you guys dating?”

“Dad!” Allison shrieks embarrassed, and suddenly all eyes shift from the game to them, Stiles feels his dad puzzled face staring at him and his cheeks burn.

“No, we´re just friends!” She says rolling her eyes and let go her grasp.  

Cool another awkward conversation to add to the things they need to talk when the game is over, climbs down and hurries to get into the school as fast as his short legs will let him, it´s odd to wander in the hallways all empty and dark now, it´s Saturday almost five and even the janitor is staring at the game with the rest of the town, yeah he can´t blame the people for being so excited about the game there isn´t much to do in Beacon Hills, but today is Halloween so there will probably be some underground parties and the streets are going to be crowded with disguised kids down the treat or trick.

He slams shut the door behind him and hurries to the first toilet, sighs with relief when his urgency is over, wash his hands and starts walking back to game when he hears a loud shout, it seems like Scott, Isaac or Jackson scored again, there is no way the bees are going to win, maybe he should back home, he needs to think about what happened with Allison before, and Scott probably doesn´t want him there, he´s tempted though his dad is gonna get mad to not mention Scott´s mom, and Allison she´s probably awaiting for him to get some answers but let´s face it he´s ass puzzled as she probably is, is pointless he can´t just go, he came with his dad anyway and he´s not in the mood to walk hundreds of blocks back home, he turns in the corner of the hallway when a voice catches his attention, is a woman´s voice, sounds frustrated, a little angry not far from where he´s standing, Stiles thought he was alone, he´s not sure why he´s doing it but –maybe because very deep inside he loves to get his ass in trouble- he leans in the voice´s direction with slow and stealth steps until it gets clear enough for him to listen, it comes from Mr. Robert´s classroom.

“Isaac can take care” Says a familiar voice, Stiles stomach plunges down and his blood turns cold, that´s Derek´s hale voice even a low as if he´s trying to settled down something but is at the same time worried that someone might listen to them.

“No he can´t he´s just a stupid kid like Scott, he does something…”

“The game is almost over” Derek cuts her out.

“She´s right is too risky” Another voice says.

Stiles can´t but stretch his neck a little to look the through the glass and hope that they won´t notice him, luckily they with their backs at the door staring at the field, the girl has long blond hair and she recognizes her without actually looking at her face, she´s Erica and the boy next to her must be Vernon they were the ones who invited Scott at the rave where it all began, probably under Derek´s orders, why he boss them around anyway?

“Nothing is going to happen” Derek continues.

“But what if…” Vernon continues.

“Derek we can´t wait any longer we are running out of time, we still need two more”

“One” Derek corrects her, see than one over there? Scott, Isaac and him are somehow synchronized they understand each other’s without saying a word”  Stiles can´t see who Derek is talking about but he´s pretty sure it must be Jackson, he noticed too while he was watching the game, they are a perfect combination a triple treat for the bees or any other team.

“Don´t be such an idiot he´s useless and you know it, we can´t wait any longer we need to kill Scott before it´s too late” Erica blurts out and Stiles almost let out a cry but he clamped his mouth right at time, he starts sweating, he knew it they wanted to kill Scott well at least Erica but she´s encouraging Derek to do it almost asking his permission, it’s like they need him and Jackson for something, like a ritual or something sacrifice them.

“Ok, I´m going to give one last chance tonight, if nothings changes kill him” Derek mutters with clenched teeth, and Stiles´ heart lurches throbbing so hard, that almost breaks his ribs he´s pretty sure that if they were closer they would be able to listen his heartbeat, they´re going to kill Scott, and there is nothing Stiles can do, Scott doesn´t believe in him, doesn´t trust him, this is it after winning his first game as captain.

“Your optimism is endearing” Erica snorts. “Nothing is going to change in fact everything is just going to get worst, remember today is full…”

“Don´t you hear something?” Vernon says wondering. “It´s like a pounding…” then they crane their necks.

Stiles eyes almost pop out of his head his breath is caught in his throat he struggles to breath while he runs out of the school, he needs to find Scott and warn him, there has to be something he can do, he can´t let his best friend die even thought he had become a cocky jock, he can´t. When he gets out to the field the crowd is already carrying Scott, Isaac and Jackson, celebrating their victory. 

…….

There is a bunch of people jogging from all directions, yelling, cheering making a lot of noise but when Scott is in the ground again he pushes aside de crowd and sprints toward her, he´s all sweaty and stinky but Allison can´t help but embrace him and feel happy and safe in his arms, she´s tempted to kiss him but she doesn´t do it when she recalls that her dad and his mom are just next to them awaiting to congratulate him too, to not mention the whole town. They let go and more and more people reaches to pad Scott´s back, she´s overwhelmed by happiness she even almost forget all the crap she has been facing lately. On the other side of the field the bees are already leaving except for the guys from yesterday there are standing in the middle all dirty and soaked in sweat staring at Scott with hatred, what are they waiting to leave? Maybe they´re plotting something, maybe they´re planning on hurting Scott, she hates them.

“So who´s ready for the party?” Scott mom says cheerful and Allison can´t help snort.

“Aren´t you supposed to be a cop?” Stiles´ dad says with a grin.

“Screw that, my boy just kicked the other team´s asses I´m want to celebrate”

Allison start looking for Stiles in the crowd but instead finds her dad´s eyes staring at her with scowling.

“What? She ask puzzled.

“Wanna join the celebration? It´s looks like you´re a Scott´s dearest friend”

There´s something fishy about all this.

“What happened with no _parties until you´re_ eighty?” She says faking her dad´s voice.

He chuckles and replies.

“I never said that, I didn´t let you go to that party the other day because it was school night, and today is Friday” He laughs, and for a second they’re the ones they used to be and she feels comfortable being next to him, he´s about to say something else when she perceives it, alcohol, in his breath, and now she recalls, her dad has been drinking the whole game and he´s not too used to do it anyway, it has something to do with meeting with his old friends he doesn´t want to miss the change to catch up a little and take some more beer, if he gets drunk then…. Allison will have to drive him home considering that they came to the game in his car she will have full access to his keys, and maybe there are the keys for the downtown apartment, plus she will have some time to hang out with Scott and maybe even talk to Stiles, where´s Stiles anyway?

…….

When Stiles finally spots his dad in the crowd he´s already inside his car awaiting for him.

“Where have you been?” His dad asks, the excitement still visible in his face, Stiles´ didn´t know that his dad is such fan of Lacrosse, maybe he´s just happy because of Scott, Stiles should too, but…

“Stiles?”

“Um… sorry I just… had to pee” He explains.

“You look absent, did something happen? Did Scott and you had a fight?” Stiles shakes his head and his dad puts the car in reverse to leave the parking lot, in the way back home he puts some music on and even tries to sing, Stiles is stunned, his dad looks like a new person since they came back, he´s happy he´s finally leaving all the pain behind, he´s not faking his smile, even though some part of Stiles is annoyed because it looks like his dad already forgot his mom, seven months have already passed, he can´t expect his dad to mourn for the rest of his life, he can´t either.

His dad parks the car outside their house, Scott´s is already crowded with rows and rows of car´s and some bikes, are they throwing a party? Good Scott will be surrounded by people, there is no way Derek can get a chance to murder him unless his planning to kill half of Beacon´s population, how´s that his mom let him throw a party anyway? She´s an officer, never mind Stiles is not sure if Scott is still mad at him but he must get into the party and tell him everything he heard, knock him down somehow and find a way to locket him while he convince the police that he heard Derek and the others planning to killing him best friend, good plan it sounds like a total disaster, that´s what Scott would tell him if he still talked with him.

His dad and him have to push their way in, the first time Stiles notices after he´s inside is that the police will soon come to shut down the party, the hall is full packed with people Stiles hadn´t see in his life, the stairs are obstructed and the lack of air is evident, Stiles to get to the nearest window to open it, the sun is setting and the air is getting colder, his dad got lost in the crowd and Stiles can´t find Scott anywhere, after take another breath of fresh air and gets his head back inside, then he finds Lydia in a corner, her lips puckered and her eyes burning.

“Hey, have you seen Scott?” He asks politely.

“Uh?” She replies without looking at him.

“Yo Lydia… Scott?”

“Oh Sorry honey I haven´t seen him, aren´t you guys angry by the way?” She says confused her eyes still in one spot in the other side of the room. How does she know about their arguing? There´s only one explanation Scott told them, cool now everyone thinks he´s insane not just his best friend.

“Sup?” Allison´ voice suddenly next to them, handling a cup to Lydia.

“I hope there is some vodka in this” Lydia says listless.

“May have some, but keep your voice down Scott´s mom is a cop” Allison explains with a giggle, and then handles another cup to Stiles, when their fingers touch the thunder hits them again but this time Stiles is ready so he manages to disguise the pain in a excited grin, but it doesn´t matter isn´t like Lydia is paying much attention to them anyway.

“What´s going on with you?” Allison ask looking at Lydia, Stiles knows Allison is upset about something but she´s good hiding it, she really looks concerned about Lydia he´s starting to get worried too.

“I think it has something to do with the curtains, I think she hates them” Stiles says with a sneer looking at the same point Lydia is staring at, and then she discovers why she´s so angry, there behind a lot of people is Jackson speaking well not actually speaking is more like flirting with a girl, suddenly Stiles´ chest is filled with a mixture between hope and hatred at the same time, how can do this to Lydia? But in other hand it means that Lydia is free so…

“What the hell is Jackson doing?” Allison says with rage. “I´m going to kick his…”

“Stop it Allison” Lydia says with a sour smile. “It´s my fault”

“What do you mean?” Stiles asks furrowing his brow.

“It was my idea… when we started dating, I told him that I wasn´t ready for playing mom and dad with him and that if he wanted to be with me it was fine for me but we weren´t going to be exclusives” She explains. “He was a loser by them, he still is but now he´s in the team they a won a game you guys know how it works.

“But you knew this would….” Stiles starts to say but he shuts when he see Allison expression.

“Anyway, I´m not the mood for parties anymore” Lydia says chewing her cherry colored bottom lip. “I´m still wearing my cheerleading uniform anyway, Allison could you please drive me home? Jackson brought me here and I don´t wanna humiliate myself anymore asking him to drive me home”

Allison and Stiles exchange glances again, for some reason Allison looks annoyed with the idea of taking Lydia home, and he´s about to offers himself to take her home when the memory Scott comes back to his mind, he needs to find him, now, he needs to do it before it’s too late, so before leaving Allison change to suggest him as Lydia´s driver. He left them behind breaking through the throng, he finds Scott´s mom with his dad, Dr. D and Allison´s father taking beers in the living and he gets Goosebumps this have to be the weirdest party ever, Scott is nowhere there´s only one place in the house he haven´t checked yet, Scott´s room, he just hopes to not find him having sex with some random girl, Stiles likes Allison and doesn´t want his dump friend to hurt her.

He approaches the stairs, someone –probably Scott´s mom- has hanged a banner by it sides that says _happy hallo-game party,_ He pushes some more random bodies aside and climbs up the stairs, the noises the chatting is all unbearable so he´s happy when he gets upstairs and the sounds muffle a little, he open´s Scott´s room door, it is empty, _damn it_ , he thinks until a light flowing water sound makes him sigh with relief, _ok Stiles think about something, anything a way to convince him to hide for a while, until Derek, Isaac and the rest are in jail._ Wait a second, where the hell is Isaac? Is his party too, but Isaac hasn´t see him, so it means he´s probably with Derek right no… A phone rings and Stiles´ heart gives a lurch, he can´t handle anymore anytime soon he´s going to have a heart attack and it will be all Scott´s fault, he reaches the phone in Scott´s bed, a new text from guess who, yeah Isaac, it says.

“Hey r u coming over? We are waiting for ya”

Stiles deletes the text and leaves the phone were we found it at the time he hears steps behind him.

“Stiles, what are you doing here?” Scott says, with rage, what? But why? Stiles tilts his head toward him, his eyes are so yellow they might be made of pure fire, he´s angry, not furious to him there, he´s already wearing a pair a jeans, and holds a T-shirt in his hands.

“I… I just” _came to save your ungrateful ass._

“Um… sorry… I´m not sure why, but I´ve been in a terrible mood the whole day” Scott says blushing and reaching to pad his shoulder.

“I thought you were mad at me” Stiles says embarrassed, his eyes on the floor.

“Mad? I thought you were the one angry with me” Scott chuckles, yet Stiles still can see something scary in his eyes as if he were about to hurl himself over him and break his neck.

“No couldn´t…” Stiles starts and then stops short this is silly they´re acting like an old marriage.

“Look Stiles, I´m not angry with you, really I´m just concer…”

Scott´s phone rings again, but the sound is different this time, so it has to be a call, Stiles is about to jump onto the bed and shatter it on the floor, but Scott is faster, he takes it in his hands stares puzzled at the screen and then presses it to his ear.

It happens too fast, so Stiles has no time to react, one second Scott is saying hello to whoever is calling –probably Derek- and right after he´s shoving the phone in his pocket, he doesn´t even finish to put the shirt on, he just turns his back.

“Scott”

And then he jumps out the window.

Stiles wedges his head beneath the crystal and calls his name, but Scott isn´t listening the music below is too loud or he´s probably just ignoring him.

 _Shit, shit, shit_. Ok time to freak out, time to freak out, Scott is going to die, he thought he was just two days ago, but this time is different he heard Derek himself telling that they´re going to kill him tonight, and Erica said something about the full, Stiles looks up, it´s almost dark then stares back at the Street Scott is already gone.

 _Halloween… full moon…_ It sounds like a freaking insane ritual.

The police, Scott´s mom is the police, and she loves Stiles, she will believe him… He just need to find her, if all the sweaty and heat bodies let him pass someday, how many people he pushed aside? He´s not sure but he´s sick of it, he needs to find Scott´s mom right now, but when he gets in the living she´s not there, neither her dad, none of the parents are there, he takes his phone and dials Scott´s mom, she picks up right away.

“Stiles?” She says, there is a lot of laughter in the other side of the speaker so he can´t hear pretty well.

“Scott is in trouble” He manages to say while the bodies crush his bones. “I need help”

_Fuck where are they?_

Stiles takes the phone and dials again this time Scott, he doesn´t pick up _what a surprise,_ then Allison but when she takes the call it cuts, Stiles dials again and there is the most scary notification a normal teenager might get, out of credit. _Fuck!_  

There´s no other option he´s gonna have to… no… no… he still can feel the pain….the… and the fear… what they did to him… no he can´t do it… but if he doesn´t Scott is going to die… there has to be another way, there has to be… maybe if he had Derek´s number… the police Station is too far away but… 911

Stiles takes back his phone, a woman picks up the call Stiles is heading out of the door and he feels a hand in his shoulder, he turns and Marin Dr. D´s daughter is there staring at him, he hadn´t see her in years, since she left for collage to study some native American’s history or something like that, but he has no time.

“Marin!” He fakes being excited. “Look sorry but I can´t talk right now I…”

“Hello?” Says the woman in the line.

Marin is in silence staring at him, her mouth a thin line, like she´s about to say something, Stiles looks back at her eyes, they shine, with rage and some frustrating her mouth his wobbling though her face is stark as rock, it´s like she´s trying to…

“Hello?” Says the woman again.

Stiles gets out of the house, all the street is crowded two, but kids wearing disguises, knocking at doors some accompanied by their parents. 

“I´m sorry, I wanted to report a murdering attempt” He says hurriedly.

“Ok sire try to stay calm, where are you right now?” The woman ask.

“No, it´s not me, it´s my friend some creepy cult is about to sacrifice him to a demon animal in the woods” Stiles cries on the phone.

“Sr.?” The woman asks, as stiles walks to his home away from the party and the noise, he´s stumbles with a little girl disguised as a witch.

“You made me fall” She shrills with anger.

“I´m sorry Stiles replies”

“No replies I´m gonna throw a spell on you!” The girl cries waving a rubber wand on his face.

“Sr.”

“Yeah I´m sorry I witch just tried to turn me into a toad” He says with sarcasm.  

“That´s what thought” Says the woman sharply. “Have a Happy Halloween” and then she cuts the call.

He ruined it, she almost believed it him, his phone must be banned by now, Scott is gonna die and it is all his fault, Stiles looks in all directions there is no one to help, his heart is throbbing so bad, almost tearing his ribs apart, there is only one way, he can´t go back to the woods, every time he puts a feet inside something awful happens, he thinks he´s about to have a panic attack, his mind turns numb, his breathing gets hitched and this awful knot in his stomach, yet somehow he´s end up in his jeep and before he can think twice is already driving toward the woods, to Scott´s death and probably his too.  

…….

She finds her dad in the backyard with the rest of the parents having more beers while Scott´s mom and Stiles´ father make barbecue in the grill, her dad´s elbows rest in his legs while he leans over to speak with dark skinned man from the game, he seems to chuckle for some jest the man does and the Allison notices a slight sway of her dad´s head, he´s… vulnerable, this is her chance. She looks at her side, Lydia is standing next to her arms crossed, so Allison approaches a little and clears her throat.

“I gotta get to the bathroom” Says the dark skinned man standing, for a second Allison can feel his eyes on her but when she whirls her head, he´s gone.

“Dad?” She says hesitantly, and he whirls, his lips are little swollen, his eyes oscillating as his head, he´s out of the game, thanks god he´s not used to drink, she´s starting like Scott´s mom, or at least she thinks for five seconds.

“Allison” Scott´s mom call. “Have you seen Scott?”

“Um… no Mrs.….” Fuck which is her name? Or last name?

“Call me Mellissa” The woman says with a grin and smiles replies with one herself. “We´re related after all”

Her dad´s eyes come out of his sockets and Allison´s bottom lip wobbles, fuck she was so close the get the keys. Scott told her? Well isn´t like they were secretly dating but she´s not feeling comfortable with his mom knowing is embarrassing and dangerous if her –probably serial killer- dad decides he doesn´t like Scott.

“I mean, Longshot is like my brother after all” The woman adds and Allison sighs with relief.

“I think he´s taking a shower or so” She explains calmer. “Dad….um…. do you think you could borrow me your car? Lydia isn´t feeling fine and since I left mine in the house I thought that maybe….” She´s scared, first when Lydia asked her this favor she felt frustrated she wanted to be as near to her dad as possible so she could get her change to drive him home and steal his keys right after, but now is different her dad is almost drunk and she´s pretty sure he will do whatever she says.

“Yeah honey take” He says shoving his hands in his pockets and handling her his keychain, this is it, she made it, she can´t believe it was actually so easy, Allison takes them in her arms the cold iron in her hand she squeezes hard and then takes Lydia her forearm and drags her out, she´s a little disappointed she´s haven´t seem Scott after the game, but there is no time Lydia needs her and plus this is her chance, this game she´s having playing with her dad, ends tonight.

They get in the car, Allison checks the review mirror to make sure her dad hasn´t changed his mind, and the she steps on the gas, as fast as she starts driving away, she hears a whimper and a knot is tied in her stomach, she feels sorry for Lydia.

“Um… Lydia” She starts.

“I know I´m pathetic, at Monday everyone will be looking at me at school with pity” She says with clenched teeth. “Oh look the half-jock-half-jerk dumped the bitchleader” She hisses with a sad mock in her face.

“I don´t know why it bothers me anyway, this was my idea, this is what gets me more angry, I shouldn´t be pissed, I should be in that party, making out with a hot guy” She complains.

“Hey, don´t” Allison says her eyes still on the road, the sky is already dark ahead, she feels like she´s driving inside a dark cavern with no way out, and she´s right after discovering what the hell she is about to, there won´t any way to escape from it, whatever her dad is doing, she´s have to deal with it.

“You love him Lydia, that´s why you feel this way” She mutters. “But hey, it´s fine, he´s an ass, maybe you guys shouldn´t have that agreement, but unfortunately you did, and you can´t do anything about it, it just helped you realize that you´re different, that you actually have strong feelings for a guy, and it also helped you to see that Jackson isn´t the for you”

“You think so?” Lydia frowns.

“I do…come on, you´re the smarts and prettiest girl in town, is his lose” Allison says with a reassuring smile.

“That´s funny” Lydia says idly “I´m pretty sure that girl is you”

The rest of the way is silent, Lydia must be thinking about Allison´s words, even though she knows Lydia did wrong when she decided to have an open relationship with Jackson she can´t help but feel sorry for her, and wonders what would she have done if it was happening to her? If Scott was the one cheating on… well Jackson wasn´t actually cheating on…but… well Scott isn´t that kind of guy, and plus Allison almost knows how to shot an arrow properly so she hopes he isn´t flirting with some random skank right now.

When Lydia gets out of the car, Allison drives away without even say goodbye, she´s thrilled, she can feel her blood going through her veins from her aching heart to her fingertips, her mouth is dry know and she is curses the vodka, the takes the curb in the next street, there isn´t much traffic but instead lots a lots of children disguised as monsters and superheroes, Allison goes straight a few blocks and then takes another curb in her right, she´s so near… she can actually hear her heartbeats.

When she gets into the street, a wave of panic takes over her, she´s actually doing this, and the street, is so empty, so calm, it is frightening, it´s almost like the people were afraid of pass by the building, maybe she should go home, she´s isn’t even sure if her dad have a place in there, maybe he was just checking up the structure, to demolish the place, he´s an architect after all…. No he´s not, maybe he is but that isn´t the reason he came back Beacon Hills. Allison gets out of the car and zips up her jacket, pulls her hand inside her pockets holding her keys hard in case she must run back to the car, it´s dark already the only light is dim bulb loosely hanging in the threshold, she pulls up her hood and looks back to make sure there´s no one around, then she slid inside.

She´s in the world´s filthiest ground floor, the dark olive walls are all blackened with dirt and grease, at her next are the stairs and right to them white card with red letters fastened to grille door that reads “out of service” great, the elevator is out of service and she´s pretty sure if her dad really has an apartment in here it must be in the hundredth floor, shakes takes out the keychain to take a closer look to them and she´s right there are more keys than they should have, so… there is place in here after all… or maybe one can be from work. _Fuck Allison is not from work, get your ass upstairs_ , she says to herself she´s sick of this, _stop being so coward_ , well isn´t like she´s going floor by floor trying the keys in all the doors, she needs a plan, and then she finds a black square in the corner before the stairs, his has eighteen tiny rectangles with names and last names written of them, she starks looking at them, reading the names, this is stupid and it doesn´t make any sense, her dad won´t be so stupid to put his real name in the list, so maybe he´s using an alias, she had read somewhere that when people adopts a new name usually it´s usually related to the one their leaving behind, as an unconscious reminder, so maybe if she finds someone which name is C A or A C, this is stupid there are at least three possible apartments, this is points, she´s not going to make it, she´s about to give up when she looks closer of the rectangles, in the first floor, it actually doesn´t have anything written up it is just dirt, this must be, it has to be, Allison takes a deep breath and walks to the stairs, she climbs up the steps two at time afraid they might surrender beneath her weigh, she gets in the first floor and identifies the nameless door, it can´t be, it would be too stupid to have a secret lair –yeah it´s sounds like a freaking comic book- in a first floor, no one would…. No one would ever imagine he would be so obvious, this is the place, Allison takes the keys and when the first fits in the lock something makes _click_ inside her too, she´s swims the door open and instantly she knows it, she´s in the right place after all.

…….

There is one last vacillation before Stiles gives up and steps into the woods, this time he´s not taking the last time´s path, he´s not leaving Erica and Boyd chance to take over him again, is safer to get to the cottage walking, after three steps a twig crunches beneath his feet and a rush a of panic takes over him, he´s chest is aching again, all his recent wounds feel recent even though he knows there is nothing there, he had heal somehow, but he´s so scared, tears climb to his eyes and he feel nauseas he´s angry with himself for being such a coward, he´s best friend is about to being killed and or sacrificed by some sort of crazy scary people to not mention the rest of the creepy things that have been happening lately, but he can´t handle it anymore he needs to go back home and hide below his quilt, read his mom´s bedtime stories.

He turns on his heels and gaps, the town, it is impossible, the town was just behind him three seconds ago and now it´s like he has been hiking for hours, all around the only thing he see is leaves-bared tree´s shadows, he´s lost, it´s almost like if the wood changed right after he got in, like a maze, there is no go back, there is not, he´s going to die, he knows it, he swallows and keeps walking, ahead to the tiny orange lights in the horizon where he´s fate awaits.

His dad, gosh, he can´t do this to his dad, he´s doing better, he´s smiling again, truly smiling, if he dies his father is doomed, there won´t be way back for him, he is scared and frustrated, way this have to happen to them? He came back to heal his wounds, to feel supported, to feel safe but instead he´s more terrified than ever, he can´t believe this is the actual end, he hasn´t talk to Allison yet about their connection, about how he can feel her emotions within him as if they were his own, he´s still a virgin for god sake, no one should die a virgin, it´s depressing, ok forget time to forget about it and focus on more important things like a plan, he needs a plan if he´s really planning to save Scott´s ungrateful ass and his own, he´s needs a weapon which he doesn´t have, Derek´s place will be closed for sure, how is he going to break in? The more he thinks about it, the more stupid this looks to him.

 The lights are enlarging and he is starting feel more uneasy with every step, with every bush that slush next to him, a creaking twig, his hearts is pounding so hard that is choking him, there is a lump in his throat almost as tight as the knot in his stomach, any small sound can give him a heart attack, _calm down, everything is going to be fine._ He looks up at the sky, behind the tangled bare breaches of the oaks he sees the full moon coming from behind a passing cloud, so bright and yellow, so big he almost feels either is about to fall from the sky over him or its core will split open revealing an eye, a burning red eye with fiery lashes. The lights are bigger now, he must get there faster before it is too late. He hops a log and stumbles with a stuffy and uneven bulge losing his balance and falling on a sea of leaves. He hurries to stand he fell over something clammy, he grimaces and stare at his hands, there is dark liquid on his palms, he can perceive a faint smell and swallows, he reach his hands closer to his nose and sniff, his heart quivers, it is blood.

“Scott” He whispers, trying to control his friend, he reaches the bulge with a trembling hand, biting his lip to be strong, he has to be strong, it is a body, lying on its stomach, Stiles takes it by the shoulder and makes it turn over its back, closing his eyes as far as he goes, it´s a guy but isn´t Scott, Stiles doesn´t need to look at his face to see isn´t he, the corpse has ginger hair, Scott doesn´t have a ginger hair, but it doesn´t mean he isn´t freaked, luckily there isn´t enough light to see the wounds, yet Stiles knows he is dead, it´s so cold that a chills runs through Stiles´ spine with a single touch.

He need to get out now! He wants to scream his best friend´s name and hope Scott will be coming over to pick him up and take him back home, but it won´t be any help it will only make Stiles give away his location to Derek and the rest, and stands up to keep walking and a high pitched snarl cuts the air, he shivers and jumps on his feet, his legs start moving before he commands them, fleeing, he´s getting the hell out of there, his survival instinct has taken over him and there is nothing he can do about it, he want to live, he needs to live.

He´s breathless, whatever was that sound wasn´t far, it runs down all over the forest freezing him to the bone, birds fly away, their flapping wings and squeaks making Stiles even more nervous, looking at all direction, he feels like he´s being watched, by trees, can almost see them stretching their branches toward him as if they were revealing his position, he reaches a glade, the trunks grow thicker at his point, there isn´t a sign of the town, neither the cottage, he´s lost, twists his head all around, he feels like exposed as if he´s being spied, he´s hyperventilating, the wind blows in a strong rush, so cold he feels like it peels down his cheeks and freeze his eyes, he whirled his neck so much he´s already starting to feel sick, but he can´t help it, there are eyes all over, he can´t see them, but he knows they are there all staring, lurking from the shows, he needs to find a blind spot to scape, but where? He cranes toward the part of the wood that seems less dense and there they are, the two glowing lights some feet taller than him.

The two burning red eyes, with somehow their own bright, there is no sclera, there is no pupil it is all red as the hell itself, Stiles steps back and, the creature slowly comes back from the darkness, it´s almost seven feet tall, all the body covered with brown and black fur, a protruding snout with long rows of teeth and even larger fangs, and it is… is standing, like a person in two bold rear legs. Stiles is about of breath, he´s dazed, frozen by fear or maybe it is just the air, but his legs are attached to ground, and his breathing rate has dramatically descended, for some reason he´s recalling Jurassic Park right now, oh god he hates that movie.

It comes slowly closer, to him, stretching it´s sharp clawed hands? Craning its neck, with every step looking somehow goofy, as it is was intrigued by Stiles existence, it is sniff, and then snarls loudly, furiously as if it just smelt the most disgusting thing in the planet, Stiles backs off slowly, looking with the corner of his eyes the thickest corner, it is too broad chested to just go after him, it will have to take down the trees, though Stiles is pretty sure that if it tries it will probably make it, it steps forward and Stiles backward, slowly looks both way choosing a way, he needs to pick up one soon before the creature lose its interest, left, right, left, right! Stiles motions his body toward his right while the growl thunders behind him and then two more lights, blue ones, come from the exact spot where he was planning to run one second ago, they´re bouncing, enlarging, and then.

“Run!” Derek cries taking Stiles from his shirt and dragging him to his left so easily as if he was a rag doll, it takes Stiles like three minutes to recover from the shock to realize that Derek, they guy who supposedly should be killing Scott by now, has just saved his life, well not exactly saved he just told him to run but here he is leading Stiles in the woods as fast as his legs let him, the knot in his stomach is tighter and his chest is starting aching again but this time because of the lack of air, he need to take break, he´s looking forward so he´s not sure if the thing is still following them, probably does, but he can´t help it, he needs to rest.

“Stay here” Derek grunts franticly, leaving Stiles behind a boldest tree trunk he had ever seen. “If you see him again run”

Him?

“Wait” Stiles mutters, struggling to catch his breath, he doesn´t want to admit it but he doesn´t want to be alone, even Derek´s company is better than nothing in this situation, but Derek ignores him and comes out from behind the trunk.

Stiles presses his crown against the rough and uneven texture, he needs to watch, he needs to, Derek is awaiting for it, there standing as if it was the normal thing in life, he doesn´t flinch, or hesitate, he doesn’t need to be closer to now that his stark face remains doubtless without any speck of fear on him. Then he hears rush, it has already found him, Derek throws himself toward the thing it stretches its claws, Stiles thinks for a second that it got Derek but then he dodges in the last second, the thing whirls in no time to face him Derek´s T-shirt entangled in its claws, _his_ … Derek said _Him._

Stiles spots Derek´s marble bare chest, spinning opposite from the beast, to escape but it happens so fast Stiles doesn´t have time to blink, the creature growls again, and now that Stiles is calmer he recognizes the sound, it is… a…howl, then it charges forward, the sharp talons come through Derek´s back, there´s a loud cry and the shadow of a black spray of blood, and then it is too late Stiles realizes now that the cry was him, shock trying alert Derek, and now Derek is dead…he´s dead…. He is… and the thing knows exactly where he is hiding.

Stiles is out of his mind, he just saw Derek die, he´s going to do die, he´s going to die, he hears the thing running toward him, this time on all fours, his hands shakes as he push away the branches of the lower trees, scratching his face, he still isn´t fully recovered, he won´t last long, he´s running slower and slower and the creature seems to move more quickly he can almost feel him on his heels, he looks back, the red eyes that wicked stare paralyze him, no it wasn´t the eyes, who in the hell put this stupid rock in here? _Fuck,_ he´s on the floor, the creeps with his remaining strength, struggling to stand and the hears a moan, turns back, an enormous dog, not it is… a wolf… a white wolf large as an small car and shinning blue eyes is dragging the creature again from Stiles, trusting its fangs deep down the monster´s arm, hauling it down the steep. Stiles falls back, trying to find a tree where support himself to stand again, this is his chance, he must escape, now or never.

He looks ahead and dashes, he can see a glade not long, where else to go? Hears more snarls, and growls, another moan of pain but doesn´t dare to look back, the glade is closer and it… isn´t a glade it is a cliff, he stops short close the edge, _fuck_ , _shit, shit, shit, I´m gonna die, I´m gonna die_ , looks back, the beast is free again, approaching him, will be here within seconds, Stiles peers down the cliff, it is too high, he can´t see nothing below, the lake´s water is so black that it looks like a void into nothingness, he can hear it, so close, so close… Stiles turn back one last time and feel a push in his chest, a hand, a human hand, Dr. Deaton´s hand, just shoved him from the cliff, his stomach plunges down like in a free fall, not like a free fall because he´s actually falling. His back hits the water and the air is dragged out of his lungs in a dry gasp and his body sinks, he swims his hands up trying to find the shallows, but his body is too heavy he feels like if the water had cold hands that are taking him down, he hadn’t see so many shades of dark before, closes his eyes to protect them, it is so cold, so dark, too painful, it´s like millions of needles being thrust beneath his skin, he can´t fight it anymore, he´s out of strength, out of air and out of hope.

…….

She´s losing her mind, literally, it doesn´t make sense, it is just a living room, a kitchen, what looks like a room and a bathroom, everything is untouched, excepted by the years of course, the peeled walls, the windows tapped with wood, the worn and creaking wood floor, he has come and go rummaging all over that she had already made a short tune combining the gnashing sounds, it is frustrating, there is nothing, just a ratty and somewhat damp moth-eaten sofa, a broken TV, a coffee table and yes the weird carved chest, it was the first thing she noticed when she came in, it is the undeniable proof that it is her dad´s place after all, but it is useless now, it is empty, he took the weapons somewhere else, but it doesn´t make any sense, she knows there are here somewhere, she´s just so frustrated so angry he always seems to be two steps ahead of her, it is pointless, her dad will notice soon that she hasn´t come back to the party, she takes the takes from her pocket and then Allison´s heart leaps a jolt runs down her, until it gets to the same spot in her hand where she always feels the _spark_ , what just happened? She just feel it when she´s near Stiles, what the? Never mind she´s too tired, so she approaches the door when her phone rings, her heart jumps in her chest, it must be her dad, he knows she´s in here, Allison rummage in her pockets and takes the phone, it´s Lydia thank god! She almost got a heart attack, she must be still sad because of Jackson, she takes the call to tell her they will talk later but them she feels like trash when Lydia sniffs in the speaker.

“Hey…hey… come on Lydia you´re better than this”

“Allison it is Stiles” Lydia cries.

“What?” Allison says confused closing the door.

“Stiles is in the hospital” Her friend shrills, and Allison stops short, and she´s almost sure her heart did too. 


	6. Killer

VI

KILLER

 

Stiles was outside waiting, his head down, Simon glance up, her hand gripping his so thigh, she was cutting his blood flow, people ran, doctors, nurses, he almost could hear Stiles in the waiting room, but he was brave, he crumbled in silence to not make her feel worse, but it was too much to handle, the wires, the smell in the air, he wanted to stay with her, he was a doctor after all.

“Simon” She moaned muffling her voice as hard as the pain let her, she didn´t want to scare their boy.

His head spun all over, her grasp went loose and then the bed began stirring, that was all, he had to keep his head high but he couldn´t, near him someone cried, a man, a doctor, he was a doctor he cured people, he saved lives, then why he couldn´t? Why he didn´t? How could life be so cruel with his son? With him? He had to save her life, it was his job, he had to do it, if he would have saved her Stiles wouldn’t be suffering so much, he should had been her hero, his son´s hero, but he wasn´t…Stiles was everything he had now, everything.

…….

It is disturbing to hear Stiles father cry in the other room, as fast as they said that he was fine and brought him to his room, his father locket in the empty one next to Stiles´ , he has been mourning since them, a parent shouldn´t cry, they are supposed be strong, and know the answers for this kind of situations, but he won´t even let Scott´s mother come in, he´s so broken right now, Allison can swear she actually heard his heart breaking just seconds ago, it was the saddest sound in the world, a lump climbed to her throat,  Lydia´s arms are still around her, her head leaning on Allison´s shoulder, in the other side of the room Jackson look at them with concern, next to him is Scott´s mom, furious shouting at her phone, no one knows where Scott is, Allison herself is a little concerned but angry with him, his best friend tried to commit suicide and he vanishes, no one has actually seen him since the party. Allison looks at her left her dad is looking straight at her from the other side of the hallway; he looks hurt and sad, somewhat disappointed as if he knew what she was doing before, but that is impossible.

In other hand, Stiles, its true she has been thinking about everyone´s reaction since… it happened, but she hadn´t been strong enough to let herself think about it because it is so hard and painful and alarmingly real, Stiles is… is not like most of the guys, he´s like her brother, her best friend, of course all her feelings for him have something to do with the alien connection between them and the spark that prickles her palm´s skin every time they touch each other, maybe that´s the reason she feels so guilty right now though it is stupid, there wasn´t any way she would know Stiles would try to do something as senseless as kill himself but she felt it in the game, he was so hurt, so sad… She feels suffocated, somehow trapped in the waiting room between Lydia´s shaking arms, she hasn´t even cried since Lydia called her, she is just stunned, she can´t actually believe it, and this guilt feeling in her chest just makes everything worse, she just want to go home, but she needs to see Stiles wake up, she needs to know her friend will be fine and his dad too, specially his dad. 

A couple of hours later they let Stiles´ dad come in Stiles´ room, he was followed by the dark skinned man, Dr. D, or something like it, the familiar guy from the game and the party and from some another place Allison can´t place in her mind, he was who found Stiles, and called emergency, if it wasn´t for him Stiles would have drowned in the lake. By three in the morning everyone is calm enough to go back home, except Scott´s mom of course who keeps looking for him, Allison is pretty preoccupied by now, she starting to freak out, he doesn´t pick up his phone but there is nothing she can do, her dad wants to go home and Lydia finally fell asleep on her shoulder, maybe is better to get back home.

…….

There is another body, that’s the first thing Allison hears when she turns on the TV in the morning, she couldn´t sleep well, between Scott and Stiles she woke up at least ten times gasping with the scary feeling in her chest that one of them was dead, and now someone is actually dead, her heart gives a lurch and she turns up the volume to listen to the news, her lip wobbling, her phone rings and she picks it up instantly while the reporter shows pictures of the woods.

“Are you watching the news?” Lydia´s voice says as she presses her phone against her ear.

“Yeah” Allison replies with dismay in her voice.

“I was shocked” Her friend mutters.

“Is it….” Allison starts but she is not brave enough to finish the sentence.

“It was this guy, the captain of the bees” Lydia says and Allison close her eyes trying to recall the game and put a face in the other team´s captain, and then she gaps…it was… it was… the guy from the mall, the one whose butt she kicked, this isn´t happening, this can´t be truth, her heart races, and the air comes out of her lungs in a short gasp.

“Oh my god” She breaths out, she hated him, she wanted something bad to happen to him to teach him a lesson, and something definitely happen, the guy is dead, he is actually dead not like in movies or in the rest of the world where faceless people died every day, this time it was someone she knew, someone she hated, and now the pang of guilt hits her harder in the chest.

“What happened?” Allison asks, Scott, where´s Scott? Does he know?

“An animal attacked him” Lydia says.

“An animal? Which?” She repeats lost, it is just like the party in the woods, an animal that sentence sends a shiver through her body, while she recalls the bright red eyes that now come to her mind like a distant vision from another life.

“Allison?” A groggy voice calls her from the door, and she jumps on her bed, her heart skipping a beat.

“Dad” She says startled, “Call you later” Says to Lydia hanging the call and taking a look at him, he looks… so… disheveled, nothing like her dad, is stunning watching him in such state, he haves one hand in his head in another in his stomach, his eyes are bloodshot, has he been puking?

“Are you alright dad?” She asks concerned.

“I feel terrible, thank god is Saturday so I don´t have to work” _Which work do you mean?_ She thinks with despise.  

“Hangover uh?” She tries to sound cool, like the old Allison the one who messed with her dad.

He just grunts and glares at her.

“Do you want me to go to the drugstore?” She suggest and then an idea flashes her mind, she hopes he´s so immerse in his pain well enough to not notice.

“It would be nice” He says struggling a grin.

“Go back bed dad, I´ll make you some soup and get you something from the drugstore” She says and gets out of bed.

It takes just ten minutes for her to get a quick shower, brush her teeth and put on the first thing she finds in her closet, she pretty tired and distracted to think about what to wear that day, her mind goes from her dad´s secret apartment, to the empty iron box, to Stiles, then Scott and now the dead guy, it is overwhelming and once more she´s forgetting to breath…. _breath…._ she tells herself.

Comes down and cooks an instant soup in the microwave serves it in a bowl with some bread slices and takes it upstairs, as she expects her dad is laying on his bed face down, his head is probably spinning in all directions, _good_ she thinks, she hops over his coat in the floor and puts the soup in the nightstand.

“Stinks in here” She complains taking the coat from the floor.

“Sorry” He mutters flatly.

“I better get this is the washer right away”

She comes downstairs before he says anything else and shoves her hands in the pockets of the coat, she sighs with relief when she finds the keys, takes the coat inside the washer machine and gets out of the house.

She´s so happy Scott´s mom got her dad drunk or else she wouldn´t be able of snatch the keychain again but luckily she did and this time she won´t lose her time, when she gets in the car the first thing she thinks is to drive to Scott´s she needs to know he´s fine, but she can´t be out of home too long or her dad might suspect, so she has to make a decision, when she turns on the engine her phone rings and she picks it up, it is a text… from Scott. _Thank god_.

“Where are you?” Says his text.

“I should be the one making the questions” Allison replies, the heat climbing her head, she´s so mad at him right now.

“Sorry, I fell fast asleep right after got home from the game” He replies and Allison gaps.

“Are you sure?” She writes.

“What do you mean?”

“Never mind, Stiles is in the hospital he needs you, we´ll talk later” She finishes the conversation and takes the car out of their garage.

The store isn´t far, so she decides first to get the keys to make the copy and then get something for her dad´s hangover, though she should probably let him suffer a little longer, she is mad at him after all for all the lies and secrets, she´s not even sure what in her life is real and what not anymore, is like a psycho´s movies right now, at least the things a settling down a little, she has her own key, Scott is fine Stiles will wake up any minute, she can do this, she can.

…….

He bolts on his bed hauling air in his lungs as much as he can get, he´s breathless, the last thing her remembers is the lack of air, being dragged out of him, swinging his arms all around trying to break free from the cold and sharp hands of the freezing lake. _Calm down, you´re not drowning, not anymore_ he tells to himself, keeps breathing heavily while he looks around, a white quilt, he´s wearing a gown, serum is being administered intravenously to him, there is no need to think much to know he´s in the hospital, but how he ended up here?

“Stiles” Scott´s mom says from the door. “You´re awake...Simon!”

“Hey…I´m…” Stiles starts, the memories begging coming to the back of his mind and then his heart jumps on his chest.

“Derek is dead!” He cries, taking away the serum from his veins to get out of bed.

“Stiles what are you doing?” Says Scott´s mom.

“Stiles” Scott gest in the room.

“Grab him” The mother order, and his best friend stares at him stunned, Stiles sighs with relief Scott is fine, Scott is alive, of course he´s fine Derek is dead after all.

“Scott you´re ok” Stiles says with relief.

“Simon” Scott´s mom calls again.

His dad comes in the room followed by a group of people, many nurses among them and Dr. D. his bald head shining with the bulb above, when his eyes and Dr. D´s meet Stiles recalls his stomach plunging down and the emptiness below, falling in the endless darkness until the lake´s shallow struck his back.  

“Son” His dad starts.

“Dad! He tried to kill me” Stiles says pointing at Dr. D. how he could do that? He was his friend, he knows him since he was a kid, he loved his mother, he used to go to his house almost every day when he was young, his heart races, pale faces stare at him puzzled, and he gasps, Dr. D has his hands bent high to his chest as if he was afraid Stiles might attack him anytime.

“Son what…” His dad´s eyes, they are red, and swollen, has he… has he been crying?

“Scott get out” His friend´s mother says and Scott stare at him gaping.

“What´s going on?” Stiles says in a snivel, why everyone is looking at him that way?

“Why you did it? I thought we were cool Stiles” Scott accuses while a nurse tries to get him out.

“What are you talking about?”

“Son…”

“Dad you have to listen Dr. D….. He… And Derek… Derek is death I saw him die” He´s breathless again, the world spinning all around, the faces, the lights, there is a buzz in his ears he feels like he´s going to throw up anytime.

“You can´t be here right now” The nurse says shoving Scott outside.

“You can´t do this, he´s my friend”

“Scott!”

“Maybe we should leave Stiles to talk to his dad for now” Scott´s mom suggest, Stiles looks straight at her, she seems as tired as his dad, Dr. D standing still his eyes scrutinizing Stiles.

“I think I should talk alone with him first Simon, you need to rest, why don´t you come back in a couple of hours?” Dr. D suggest without detach his eyes from Stiles.

“No dad don’t leave me with him!” Stiles pleads

“Stiles relax is Deaton you know him since you were a kid” Scott mom´s says.

“I won´t leave” His dad adds, Stiles isn´t sure why but there is something in his eyes, sadness, fear, anger…

“I must insist, you haven´t sleep at all Simon” Dr. D says his eyes still on Stiles.

“No… don´t leave me alone with him he tried to kill me, he shoved me from a cliff” Stiles gasps. “Dad, you have to believe me”

“Stiles calm down, you´re just a little confused” Scott mom says. “You need to relax”

“No…you´re not listening he shoved me… I almost died… it was so cold”

“Stiles enough!” His dad grunts. “I´m so disappointed with you” and without another he just stands and leaves the room.

“Dad! Dad!” Stiles cries. Scott´s mom approaches him and surround him with her arms

“It’s okay honey, he´s just a little scared, we were all pretty scared last night” She says and stiles notices the quick and brief spams, while she holds him, as if she were afraid he might fall apart into pieces like a broken porcelain figure. “Its fine, everything is fine” Adds hoarsely.

“You can´t leave me here, Derek is dead and Dr. D. tried to kill me” Stiles mumbles at her hear while they hug and her body shakes.

“It was just a bad dream honey, just a dream” She assures.

“I´m sorry Stiles but the truth is that you tried to kill yourself” Dr. D says with pity reaching to sit next him.

 ……

She´s parking the car when the text reaches her phone, Stiles is awake, he is awake, tho she knew he would wake up eventually, relief wash her, she can breathe more easily now, so after leaving the pills for his dad she gets back into the car and drives to the hospital. In the waiting room finds Scott and Lydia.

“Hi” Her friend says with a smile giving her a hug.

When her eyes met Scott´s she feels a pang of sadness in her belly, he looks concerned, and exhausted and terrified, has he already heard about the bee´s captain?

“Are you ok?” She asks staring at him, his puppy eyes are bigger today and their amber is a shade darker than usual, he nods and reaches her, pressing his forehead against hers, his heat reassures her she breaths out everything is going to be fine.

“He is fine” She tells him in a mutter while she strokes his cheek, there is a subtle stubble growing, his breathing is steady but deep as if he were afraid he might suddenly run out of air.

“I know, I´m just, I can´t explain it but there is this pain…” His voice trails off as a grimace flashes his face, a crystal like shine in his eyes. “I feel this… guilt in my chest”

“It isn´t your fault” Allison assures.

“It is no one´s fault” Lydia adds with a sad smile. “This things just happen”

“I feel like I could have done something” Allison admits, she knows very well how Scott feels, she can´t explain it well with words, but she feels fully responsible and she is so afraid to face Stiles´ dad, or anyone else, she just want to go bed and wake up the day before and don´t leave Stiles alone.

“You don´t get it, it is killing me, I feel like I did something horrible” Scott says with a pasty high pitched voice, swallowing hard.

“It is ok, he is fine Scott, he is fine” She repeats again and again resting her head in his chest.

…….

When Melissa leaves the room Stiles is tempted to push Dr. D aside and run away, but a nurse comes in and the anxiety takes over him, his breathing comes out of control once more, he´s scared, he just can´t believe he´s in the same room with the guy who tried to kill him just hours ago, and that no one seems to care.

“Lie down” Dr. D. says with his usual voice. Stiles hesitates throws a quick glance at the door, there are shadows outside, if he screams…

He lies down, the intense light searing his pupils.

Dr. D approaches handing an even brighter flashlight and point straight to his eyes, the light struck blinds him, a headache pounding his head in seconds, his cold thumb on his eyelid, when he releases his eye, Stiles close them and tiny purple lights gleam before him, for a second he feels dazed enough to fall asleep once more but then the void comes back to his mind, the red eyes, the brown furred body.

“Why?” Stiles asks tired, he´s giving up.

“What?” Dr. D. says frowning.

“Why did you try to kill me? I though… I…”

“I didn´t try to kill you Stiles, why would I do that? You´re just a little confused”

“Don´t lie to me Dr. D. You shoved, after I escaped from the wolf and that thing in the forest, you were there, and you did nothing to help me! You just tried to kill me”

He looked at his left where the nurse checked the serum, she avoided looking at him, as if he was crazy.

“As I said you´re a little confused, I saw you getting in the woods and I followed you, called you many times but you didn’t answer, then you just jumped… it was… disturbing”

“You´re lying!” Stiles screams.

“You´re lying!” Repeats and the door bursts open, Allison comes in followed by Scott Lydia, a wave of relief takes over him.

“Stiles what happened? Are you ok?” Allison says alarmed, her eyes almost popping out of her sockets.

“He tried to kill me, call the police” Stiles says pointing at Dr. D.

“I gonna have to ask you to leave us alone” Dr. D says looking at his friends.

“No, don´t leave alone with him” He begs, and then he see it a certain look in his friends eyes, they don´t believe it him.

“You don´t believe me” He accuses, how can they do this to him? They´re supposed to be his friends.

“Stiles you…”

“You don´t believe” He says again with disappointment.

“I went into the woods because of you, because Derek was going to kill you, and now he´s dead and still you don´t believe me, go then, go and look for Derek´s body if it isn´t there then locked me down and throw the key”

His friends are startled staring at him, after he finishes they exchange frightened looks, as if they were afraid to tell him something.

“What?” He yells angrily.

“Um… Stiles…” Scott starts, his nose reddening and his eyes turn watery as if the words he was about to say were knives cutting him from inside out.

“Derek and Isaac came a couple of hours ago, they heard what happened and wanted to know how you were doing”

And again in matter of hours his stomach plunged down, luckily this time, he wasn´t actually falling.

…….

It was a rush of voices and words, tears and lights, once he was the awkward boy, later the poor kid who lost his mom, and now he is the guy who couldn´t handle it anymore and tried to kill himself, everything lost its sense, after Scott, Allison and Lydia left they took him with Dr. Fintshood, the psychiatrist, it was embarrassing to enter in that room, and humiliating to listen to the middle age woman´s talk while his dad was sitting in the couch, Stiles didn´t need to read minds to know what he was thinking, he was thinking Stiles was losing his mind, and he couldn´t blame him, she said he could trust her, he could tell her everything so he did, it was a stupid idea, once he got the part in his story where he woke up in his bed without a single bruise after being beaten by Erica and Vernon he knew he was screwed, no one would ever believe in him, it sounded crazy even to him, yet the doctor asked him to continue with the story.

When he was done, he found out she had a story for him too, at some point in the conversation his pills showed up, his dad seemed so embarrassed and disappointed, Dr. Fintshood told him about how dangerous the pills were as if he didn´t knew it already, then everything fall apart, when he explained why he needed them, he fell like he was thrusting a spear right in his dad´s chest, all his attempts to look normal, to pretend he was fine to make his dad feel better were in vain his dad seemed older and sadder than ever and everything was Stiles faults, but Dr. Fintshood not just talked to them, she also talked with Scott –the pills came out in that conversation for sure-. One afternoon before it was his turn to talk alone with the doctor, he pressed his ear against the door and heard his dad telling the woman that Scott´s mom saved him days past from being hit by a car. Other day Isaac came, and Stiles managed to hear him say he had seen Stiles once or twice in school but they hadn’t talked ever at all. It was like a conspiracy as if the life and everyone were trying to making him believe he was crazy and he was starting to believe that maybe he was.

After days of study the doctor came with a conclusion, Stiles wasn´t crazy –thank god- he was just a boy who have come through a lot of pain, being back in school with his old life wasn´t the best choice, the memories mixed with pills “played” tricks to his mind, and started to believe he was in this world where wounds magically healed, when he heard her voice he was already done with everything and everyone, too exhausted to even protest, he forgot how to sleep, and how was to feel safe, he was now always afraid and confused he knew there was an explanation for everything but it didn´t worth it, he just wanted to get out of there before he lost his mind and killed himself for real.

Dr. Fintshood suggested him take a couple of weeks away from school, settled down himself, take control over his life, but he didn´t listened and convinced his dad to let him go school the next Monday, it was a huge mistake as fast as he put a feet inside the school all the eyes were on him and the whispering started there were so many people muttering that he actually could hear high and loud what everyone was saying _he is the guy who tried to kill himself._ Two minutes, that was all he could stand before running out, by the time he got home he was crying and shaking like a baby, and he could hear his dad´s heart breaking while he hugged him, his dad was even more scared than him to get out, Stiles could read it in his eyes, he was so afraid to leave the house for half an hour and found Stiles in the bathroom in a pool of blood. Scott showed up the first week, every morning before school, and every night after practice but Stiles never spoke to him, it was his fault that everyone found out about the Prozac, it was his fault Stiles got in the woods in the first place, to save his ungrateful ass, eventually Scott stopped coming and Stiles kept sinking down in his loneliness.

Lydia and Allison came to see him at least twice in the week, they brought him homework and taught him healthy recipes for his dad, Stiles was a little upset with Allison for not tell Dr. Fintshood about the thing they feel when they are together, but he can´t blame her she would had ended being be the town´s crazy girl, they are never alone and Stiles doesn´t dare to speak about it in front of Lydia, actually is like if Allison is trying to forget about it, maybe he should too, but he can´t help being stubborn, every time he recalls that everyone thinks he´s crazy and treats him like a mental patient harder he wants to prove them wrong. Once they came with the news that the police found the killer animal, apparently it was a dog that lived in the wood, when they told him Stiles recalled the white… wolf? That saved him and felt sorry for it, it was stupid to think it was the responsible for the deaths, Stiles knew the actually killer but no one believed in him, but he can´t actually believe the police can say a dog is able of such mess, maybe they were just desperate to blame something before the whole town started to freak out, whatever the police killed he just hoped it wasn´t the wolf.

By the second week in home, the fear and sadness start to fade, being replaced by anger, the nightmares are constant but usually he´s too tired to even care anymore, he´s sick of being afraid so instead of crying like a baby, he lay in his bed every day living that night in his mind over and over until it becomes boring, he knows he´s not crazy and he needs an explanation, he´s just in the middle of a puzzle, the only thing he need to do is put the pieces together, and he knows exactly how to do it. It´s three in the morning, he´s dad is finally starting to sleep too, and the meaningless holes in his story start to come to his mind, he sees blood, and bright eyes from all colors, muzzles, and brown furred bodies walking upright, growls and a ghostly yellow moon, he comes out of bed in the darkness and takes his laptop, it is stupid to think that internet might actually have the answers to his question, but maybe it actually do, it just matter a of knowing where to look, though he has already an idea about what he´s looking for, but it is so stupid he doesn´t even dare to really consider it.

……..

It seems like ages since Stiles… Everyone is school is already starting to forget about it, but that doesn´t mean the whispering in the hallways is over, people keep talking about Carlson the bee´s captain no one buy´s the police story about the dog, and some students are actually working in an animal´s lover group. In other hand people thought the Lacrosse´s season would be suspended because of Carlson´s dead but surprisingly they decided to keep on it, the bees got a new captain and the wolves got their second game in mid-November but things didn´t go as good as in their first game, Scott was distracted the whole game, Allison knows it has something to do with Stiles and the Bees, they lost the game and everyone blamed Scott good as if he wasn´t feeling miserable enough already, he feels so guilty, because of Carlson, and Stiles and now the game. The rest of team think they should get a new captain while, but they haven´t talk much with Jackson to know his side of the story, Lydia is still hurt because of what he did in the after game´s party, and now he shows up in everywhere with this girl so Allison can´t help being angry with him, with all the recent events the Sadie Hawkins dance was moved in schedule to December, which kept Lydia and rest of the cheerleaders busy, which was a good thing Allison thought her friend seemed pretty busy and have almost forgot about Jackson.

In other hand Allison is losing her mind, she´s not sure about how many times- she lost the count on 50- but in her free times she keeps coming to her dad´s secret apartment to find out some clue about the weapon and the purpose of the property but there is nothing, nothing changes with every visit, the same peeled walls, the windows are still sealed, there is still no bed, the bathroom as never been used, the wood floor keeps squeaking in the entrance, in the back of the room, in the left wall and the opposite,  the TV hadn´t been moved from the floor as the coffee table, the only odd thing she noticed since she got there the first time is the dresser, in is in the apartment´s only room, opposite the place where the bed should be, the first time Allison spotted it she thought she would a fine a body, actually she isn´t sure if there is a body inside or not, because she hasn´t been able to open it since then, there is no handle or key hole, she thought about to make a hole in it to look inside and discovered it wasn´t actual wood, it surface is metallic but painted to resemble polished wood, she tried but there still isn´t a way to open it, she knows whatever her dad is hiding is behind that door she just need a way to break in but how?

“Allison are you listening to me?” Lydia says with irritation. Allison flickers, she has been immerse in her thoughts the whole hour, haven´t even touched her smashed potatoes.

“Sorry I was just…” He tries to excuse, feel Scott´s hand squeezing her reassuringly.

“Anyway I was telling you that I´m not sure about using paper snowflakes or glittered polystyrene balls” Her friend says doubtful.

“What for?” Allison scowls.

“Hello! Sadie Hawkins dance” Lydia says cheerful.

Allison feels Scott´s grip tighter and she snorts, poor Scott he must be tired of listening to Lydia´s chat the whole morning, but Allison can´t help it, her mind just drifts away, anytime she tries to focus, she always ends up in the same place, thinking about how to open the dresser´s door, thinking about why to leave a TV in the floor when there is coffee table in there, or why the strange iron box is still there, it didn´t make any sense to her, there is something she is not seeing, but what?

“Gosh” Lydia complains.

“I´m sorry” Allison says flatly.

“Please don´t tell me Dr. Deaton shoved from a cliff too or I´m going to freak out” Lydia grimaces.

“Don´t say that” Allison chastises “I isn´t a joke”

“O come on, We can´t be mourning for ever Stiles isn´t dead” Lydia says rolling her eyes.

And Allison recalls the look in the boy´s eyes in the hospital looking a Dr. D and telling everyone he tried to kill him and then she gasps, she knows where she saw him.

“Lydia” She says with a stern look “Where is the yearbook?” 

“What´s going on?” Says Scott confused, he probably doesn´t want to admitted but Allison is sure he´s angry with Lydia for acting so heartless sometimes.

“Nothing I just need to check up something in the yearbook” Allison says faking a gin.

“Yearbook?” Lydia says frowning.

“Yeah, the one you showed me when I got here, remember?”

Lydia looks up biting her lower lip as if she were trying to recall, and then something flash in her eyes and her scowl disappears.

“Stiles kept it, didn´t he?”

“Oh… right” Allison says thoughtful and before she notices, she´s running out of the cafeteria, her feet drawing her straight to the library, there must be another copy of the year book, all schools have their archive, she burst the door open, it is a big room not much crowded just five or six students inside, rummaging across the walls and shelves filled with books, even the librarian isn´t there, she´s probably in her break so Allison has to ask some kids sitting in a large table reading about where she can find the yearbooks, when they tell her they are at the bottom of the room next to American History she jumps to it, Lydia and Scott may be looking for her right now but she doesn´t care, her memory is so vivid of that day, the day she saw the year book, and there is something disturbing about it, she finds the yearbooks they are arranged by year, she closes her eyes and try to recall which name was printed in leather cover, 198… 19878, she finds it almost at the bottom and then stops. Takes a deep breath, her hands are shaking and her heart pounds her rips with ever beat. She opens the book and fly through the pages looking for the chemistry club, and she finds it just below the archery team where her parents still smiled at her but what she was inserted in was the picture below them where a dark skinned boy hold a book, a book, with some weird runes, the same carvings in the iron box, it is the same book she found inside her mom stuffs in the attic, and now she realizes that somehow everything is connected.

…….

Have been long days and long nights, it is stupid, it isn´t like typing _red eyed monster_ on Google and wait for it to show a video of Derek and him running in the forest and someone below explaining the scene as if it was a director´s cut, he needs a new idea, his dad is starting to leave the house for longer periods now, he´s starting to trust in him again, he thinks Stiles is finally doing better, while it is quite the opposite maybe everyone is right and he´s crazy, when he looked for _fast healing_ found just pictures of wolverine and some youtube videos about it, so maybe he´s crazy after all. When he´s so tired of looking for a solution he rummages around her mom recipes, thanksgiving is a couple of days away, yeah it is stupid to think about a reason for feeling grateful with all shit his dad and him had come through lately but his mom would kill them if they don´t celebrate thanksgiving, her turkey god! He´s mouthwatering with just think about it, yesterday he felt strong enough to leave the house and went to the grocery store to get one, it was hard at the beginning everyone staring at him, that´s one of the downsides of living in a small town, yet he managed to ignore them, later in the night while they were having dinner –in silence of course- Scott´s mom showed up, Stiles was happy to see her, she´s the only one who still looked at him as she always had thought she was so broken in the hospital, Stiles can´t be grateful enough with her, she has been so good with him, especially with his dad, she invited them to spend thanksgiving together, and Stiles couldn´t help but think about the past holidays, his grandparents, his parents, Scott and his mom, the food the music, his dad and Scott watching the super bowl almost like a perfect family of course they all had their problems but that day everyone forgot about it, it was about be together.

Now everything is different, his grandparents are out, Scott and him aren´t talking, his dad can´t even look at him in the eyes and his mom… So when Scott mom showed up for a second he felt like those days, being a kid, being annoying charming and before he could recall that it meant Scott would be there they accept it, but Stiles offered himself to bring the turkey, so it means hard work for him, he does his bed cooking but he knows he needs to make a perfectly roasted turkey to settle the things down a little and thank Scott mom for being so good to them.

After finding the recipe in her mom things and making sure he has all he need he comes back bed he´s a little tired, his dad is already asleep, tomorrow he will look in internet for extra recipes just to compare them with his mom´s, he sighs with resentment if only internet were more useful for finding what he really wanted to find, then an idea flashes his mind, maybe the actual internet may not giving him what he´s looking for, but something else… he had heard about it once or twice, it isn´t pretty popular but he read somewhere it was filled with so many weird and hardcore information, so maybe… just maybe the deep web was the answer, he gets out of bed and takes his laptop once more, types the deep web´s search tool address, once it pops before his eyes, he types the words of his search opens the first web that shows up and gaps in bewilderment.

…….

That day Allison doesn´t go back to the apartment after school, she doesn´t even go to Stiles to check him up, actually she has being the whole afternoon thinking about the book and the runes on it, what are they? What they mean? Why his dad has an iron box with the same swirls and spiked squares? It doesn´t make any sense, her life is upside down and every time she thinks she´s about to find out what the hell is going on things just become weirder. After dinner she gets in her room to pretend she´s watching TV while she awaiting for her dad´s loud snoring and get to the attic, it takes hours and she´s feeling already dizzy, it took her a couple of days to be able to sleep after all the things that happened, she just needs to hold on a little longer, every half hour she gets out of the room, sneaks in the hallway to check up if he´s already asleep, by 2am she´s about to give up, she gets out of her room for her last patrolling round when she finally notices his room´s lights are out, stealthy she approaches his door and presses her air against the door and there it is, his usual snoring. She slides her feet to the corner where the perch awaits for her and pulls down the foldable ladder, she´s already in hype, can feel the blood stream in her veins and feel a buzzing in her ears, whatever is inside that book is somehow related with her parents, and the secret life they had and that her dad is still having.

She climbs up, and something flashes her mind, doubt, something inside her doesn´t think it is a good idea after all, this is her last chance to get back and forget the whole thing, but she can do it she needs to know but at the same time fear takes over her heartbeat, what if her dad isn´t her dad, or he´s a terrorist, or a serial killer? Her life will fall apart, and she won´t be the same ever again. She sighs and waves away those thoughts whatever it is she can´t just leave now, or she will never trust her dad again, she will live with fear and anger, she can´t. Shakes her hand to turn up her phone´s flashlight and aims to the box, it awaits for her in the middle of a sea of frightening shadows casted by her mom´s old belongings, she saunters around before stopping by the box, she thrusts her hand in and dig inside her mom things until she feel a velvet like texture in a square shape, points at it with the flashlight the swirls and spikes in the cover gleam silver shine as if they were made of some metal, there is no name in the book though she suspects it the symbol must be its name in whatever language is written she just hopes there is some English inside the book or a least pictures that can give her clue of what´s going on, with anticipation she holds her breath and opens the book.

…….

The issues with the oven are already settled and Stiles can sit in the coach to keep his research, ain’t like he hasn´t found something in the last days actually he found more than what he wanted, the first day his blood went cold, by now he´s doing his best to calm down and contain his urges to puke, and cry and run, the things he had read, and saw in the screen, some were funny, others scary, stories all over the world in all languages and cultures, still there were a couple of questions puzzling him but he is determinate to get the answers today, his father comes out of his room dressing a dress shirt and a pair of new jeans, boots and what´s that smell?

“What are you doing?” Stiles says with a chuckle and his dad grins, it feels likes years since the last time they talked and he´s happy to see him smile again, that the magic of the holidays it doesn´t matter how screwed things may look, there is always room to leave everything behind and smile.

“I just thought it would be nice to wear something different” He says blushing, and Stiles can get it, he´s so used to see his dad wearing his lab coat above the green scrubs that is odd look at him now, he seems so common and fine.

“You look good dad” He says with a short smile.

Someone knocks the door and Stiles closes his laptop putting it aside.

“Is the turkey ready?” His dad asks cheerful.

“Not yet!” Stiles yells at him before he does something to screwed it up and they end up eating pizza in the mall.

He opens the door and scowls when he sees Scott standing in there.

“Hi” His friend mutters.

“Hi” Stiles replies sharply.

“I just came by to tell you that everything is almost ready at home, and mom is waiting for you guys to show up”

As Stiles Scott is just wearing a T-Shirt and his pajamas pants, they used to spend the thanksgiving´s eve watching cartoon when they were younger, then playing videogames years later, and then spent the day still in pajamas until his mom or Scott´s encourages them to get a bath and change clothes.

“Um… ok” Says Stiles closing the door at the time he listen his dad cursing in the kitchen.

Scott grabs him by the arm.

“Wait” Says deflating, his eyes on the floor.

“What do you want Scott?” Stiles says annoying, rolling his eyes.

“Look, I´m sorry about what happened ok? I just freaked out, I was….”

“Just forget about it ok? I´m busy right now” Stiles dryly.

“But Stiles I…”

“You were Scott ok? See you later” Stiles grunts and shuts the door at the time another curse comes from the kitchen.

At eight they are sitting in the dining room, in silence, Scott´s mom takes out her apron and after finishing putting the table and takes sit next to her son, the tablecloth is green with white and red flowers, those makes Stiles remind of Christmas, he smiles, they hold their hands Stiles takes Scott´s reluctantly and stares at plates while Scott´s mom says the words, in the middle of the table is the turkey he made he just hopes it is good, he knows it can´t possibly be good enough as his mom´s but he wishes it worth his hard work and his dad´s burned hand, _please let the stuffing be good_ he thinks and chuckles, next the turkey is the cornbread it crust gold and thick it looks spongy and delicious as everything Scott´s mom cooks, opposite in the table is the mashed potatoes the gravy and the steamy apple pie, Stiles stomach growls with just the sight of it, luckily Scott´s mom is almost done with her words, he didn´t hear a word he´s starving and a little disturbed which is good because he doesn´t have a good reason to feel grateful today beside the fact that his dad is alive.

“Amen” They say in unison and let go their hands that quickly fly to the table to get slices of bread, mashed potatoes and turkey he takes a turkey leg and covers it with the gravy a takes a huge bite.

“I thought Simon was coming” Stiles´ dad says.

“Me too” Mellissa agrees.

“But apparently Allison and him have their own traditions” She explains and takes a spoonful of mashed potatoes with green beans.

Stiles notices how Scott eyes bright after hearing Allison´s name, and he can´t help but grin, his friend is really falling, if he wasn´t mad at him he would had made a joke about it. To his surprise his stuffing has this spicy and sweet hint as sparkles in the tongue that made his mom´s turkey the best, yet his isn´t a bit compared to his mom´s but he´s happy for making such achieving. After dinner his dad helps Scott´s mom with the dishes while Scott look for the super bowl in the TV, some things never change, well some actually do, he´s already thinking about the flower, that purplish one he saw in his laptop screen, he knows he saw some but he isn´t sure where exactly, the thought of it has been keeping his mind busy the last hour, he knows it wasn´t in the forest –thank god- it was outside a house, but he can´t picture the image of it in his mind, and it isn´t until Scott looks at his phone with longing during the halftime that he realizes where he saw them.

…….

Thai food, ok not the better idea for thanksgiving dinner, but it is their tradition after tall, according to her dad, they used to have a beautiful dinner every year in their house, but it changed when her mom died, in part because his dad wasn´t the better cooker and because the first two years he was too hurt to even try, anyway they kept moving out so it wasn´t a big deal they were used to eat everywhere, it wasn´t till Allison was nine that she started to cook, because she wanted it looked phone in the shows, screw that, her dad started loving her meals –not the firsts of course- and she has to cook every day, of course they take turns to cook, but just let’s say her dad needs a little more practice, and gloves, so it became their tradition, look for restaurants in the GPS close their eyes and put a finger in the screen, and that would be their dinner.

Of course her dad wasn´t expecting today´s sleeping pills in his coke, but Allison had to take her chance she saw it she took it, she´s sick of it, the book was a joke, it is stupid it doesn´t make sense it can´t be truth, and she just need some prove, needs to burst into the apartment and end with it once and for all, so after dinner they come straight to home, she feels guilty for doing this to him, but she´s exhausted and she wants answers, other answers despite the fact to believe that her dad is part of some psycho sect.

She almost have to help him get in bed, it’s like when he got drunk he stumbles, maybe three smashed pills were too much but she has to be sure he will sleep like a log the whole night without coming out of bed even to get some water, she needs to find the truth, the real truth tonight and she will do it even if it means knock down the closet´s door. She puts the quilt over he dad and comes downstairs, look back one last time, there up in that room is the person she trusted most in the world, who gave her everything, a roof, food, clothes, silly jokes… tears climb to her eyes, it hurts her doing this to him but she can´t live this way anymore, She gets in the car, turns on the engine and drives away from her house.

…….

Finally the game is over, one thing is listen Scott´s excited cheers during a touchdown and not thrusts a sweaty sock in his mouth, but one quite opposite is not doing it when Stiles is mad at him, after the game Scott´s mom offers Stiles dad chocolate mug, he takes it cheerful and they sit to chat a little about their works, before giving Scott a chance to stop him Stiles says goodnight and heads home, there he waits sitting in his bed in the darkness, he feels like in a horror movie, which is hilarious considering that he actually lives in a Halloween marathon week or something like it, after an hour or so he listen the front door opening and closing, and then footsteps in the stairs, when his dad closes his door, Stiles open his and gets down, it´s late night so he hopes Allison and her dad are asleep by now, Stiles turns off the porch´s light just in case someone might see him and call his dad, he looks both ways through the window and sneaks into his jeep, turns on the engine but stops short when he sees a dark figure getting out from Scott´s house and disappearing into the night, this have to be a joke, why he can´t sneak out of his house to be with his girlfriend like normal teenagers? A shiver runs down his spine… He´s freaking out he knows it, but there is not turning back, he´s not even sure why he is doing this anyway, probably to show up everybody he isn´t crazy, especially himself, he puts the car in reverse and drives toward Allison´s.

This might sound silly, but he feels like a robber sneaking in the darkness outside Allison´s place, luckily the night is calm, there aren´t cars around and most the lights are out in the house, aren´t they at home? Maybe they´re just sleeping, he gets down the car and approaches the gravel walkway, with any step he feels like someone will show up, so he hurries in the porch he finds what he´s looking for the long rectangle flower pots, all full of the long purple flowers with large petals, Allison´s dad is crazy, if he knew how dangerous this plants were he weren´t growing them, he snatches three of them and carefully puts them in his hoodie´s pocket.

…….

When she opens the door the familiar squeaking of the of the worn wood floor greets her, the building is specially silent tonight, so it feels like a thunder when she closes the door, she´s afraid someone might come out of their house to check her up. Is cold inside, but she doesn´t care, she´s done with it, turns on the light and walks around, the creaking sound putting her to her nerves, first she goes to the bathroom, knocking the walls tiles looking for a hollow one without success, then she goes to the living room, trying every musty wall, it´s surface looking for a button to press on or something like it, then she goes to the box, still empty nothing in there, maybe it opens with like a garage, maybe there her dad is carrying the button with him so no one would find out what´s going on in there ever unless he wants too, that discourages her, she sits in the couch, and chews her lip, this is harder than she thought, she´s losing her hope, but she can´t get out without answers, so she stands up again, and wanders around, there is something she´s not seeing so she scrutinizes even harder, touching every surface, but nothing happens, _fuck_ she thinks, kicking the couch to drain some of her rage, she´s in a death end, and doesn´t know what else to believe, apart of course of what the book said but she doesn´t want to think about it, is too stupid even to consider it.

She keeps pacing in circles over the room, _think Allison think, if you were your dad where you would put the button_ the squealing wood isn´t helping, with every footstep one grinds and takes her another bit of her limited patience, if she could only shut it down, she could concentrate the place is a mess is falling apart literally there are four creaking spots one in front of the door, another before the box in the opposite wall and two in the side walls, it is annoying, and stubborn and…. Allison stops short, she has being walking in circles for hours literally and…. She runs to the box and pulls it back just a few inches until it she hears the bothering shrill, then moves the TV and the coffee table to the next spot, do the same with couch, maybe if she moves the table to the door… no… she walks to the front door and steps in the last one and that´s when she hears it, a _click_ and he heart skips a beat, she did it, she actually did, she runs to the dresser and there is, the door slightly open, thought is dark inside, she turns on her phone´s flashlight and peeks inside, at first she thinks it is empty but then she sees the darkness spreading long below her, the small space inside doesn´t end there because it isn´t an closet it is… a ladder.

Allison hesitates reaching a hand to the first handle and then a foot, she can feel her heart beat in her throat, she´s both excited and terrified at the same time, happy for her achievement she starts descending, it doesn´t take her much to reach the bottom, when he does she lights up the room, she´s in a low tunnel but she can´t see the end, she starts walking toward the darkness, her steps echoing all around her, giving this awkward sensation that she is not alone. At the end of the tunnel is large room, she know is big because the flashlight doesn´t reach its end even the walls seem far, there are dim reflections of the light when she looks sideways, at her left she finds a switch, she turns it on and everything lights up, she lets out a cry but is fast enough to muffle it with her hand, the knives, bows, crossbows and the guns are back, but they are not alone, they are arranged with hooks in the right wall, while in the other one at the far end of room is a computer, and displays, dozens of them scattered all around covering every inch of the room, showing streets and buildings, houses, and stores, even some show parts of the forest, her dad… has been spying the whole city.   

…….

He leaves the jeep behind and walks inside, is part of his test, so when he steps inside the wood and the turns around the town is already vanished behind, again as if the wood had a mind itself and tried to make him get lost, he takes a few steps forward inside the darkness, the twigs and fallen leaves crunch beneath his feet as usual and, after teen minutes of wandering around his eyes find the distant lights of the cabin and he can feel eyes around, he´s breathing is starting to come out of control as his heartbeat but manages to keep steady at least the first one, he can feel his presence lurking in the shadows staring at him.  

“What are you doing here?” Says a harsh voice.

Stiles looks at his side, a dark shape walks toward him, pale face and ice-blue eyes glinting with the moonlight, and the image of his sweaty torso being stabbed flashes his mind, the blood streaming the moan of pain, yet here he is walking straight at him his jaw set, his fist clenched.

“I came to play a game” Stiles says bitterly.

“Look who is here” Isaac voice sweeps the air from behind.

“I´m not talking to you” Stiles grunts. “We don´t know each other, remember?” Adds sharply.

“I did it becau…”

“Because you wanted me to look like a loser I know” Stiles cuts him out.

“What do you want?” Derek asks with hatred.

“I told you I came to play a game” Stiles continues managing to chuckle sarcastically though he´s so scared his legs are shaking.

“A game?” Derek snorts and gets closer.

Derek is in front of him, Isaac behind, it means Erica and Vernon must be at his sides, he´s surrounded, there is not scape for sure, this is it.

 “Yeah a game, I came to say this to you Derek, what a big ears you have!”

Derek´s face changes from anger to bewilderment.

“My ears?” He says irate, looks confused and Stiles swears he just heard a chuckle behind him.

All the things he saw in his laptop the last days come his mind, if there weren´t videos actual amateurs video he wouldn´t believe it, he knew it from the beginning but he didn´t want to believe it was truth, it seemed so stupid.

“No you don´t say that Derek, you know say All the better to hear you, and then I say what big eyes you have” Stiles continue with his condescending voice tone.  

“Is this some kind of joke?” Derek lets out his nostrils expanding in and out.

“What large hands you have, what a terrible big mouth you have Derek”

“Enough” Derek bursts and launches himself toward him.

“Wait!” Stiles says and Derek stops short confused.

“Don´t tell me what do to” He reproaches stunned.

“Red riding hood” Stiles explains.

“What?” Derek frowns.

“The red riding hood, I was quoting it” Stiles says offended, really? He doesn´t know the story.   

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Derek says with rage his eyes staring straight at his eyes, something in them make Stiles look away, this wasn´t a good idea after all, his heartbeat is officially out of control anytime it will rip down his ribcage, they can probably hear it, especially Derek who´s just inches from him.

“I saw you die” He says sharply, keeping his eyes high, he won´t let Derek know he´s death.

“Yeah? I heard you were in a mental institution, sadly we both didn´t get what we wanted” Replies the ghostly skinned guy, the hard puffs of breath coming out of his nostrils like a savage wind.

“I know what you are and what you´re doing” Stiles says in low voice, though he didn´t mean to.

“I don´t care what you think” Derek cuts him short. “I´m sick of you”

“I won´t tell anyone if you stop killing people” Stiles threats him.

“I´m not…” Derek says frustrated.

“See? I told you” Isaac points out from Stiles back.

“You can´t threat me boy, if you really knew what I am you wouldn´t have come” Derek snorts.

“I know what you are, you are a werewolf” Stiles accuses, he finally said it, it sounded so stupid in his mind and know he said it, his life is like a freaking eighties movie, he almost laughs of himself, this kind of things doesn´t happen, there can´t be things like werewolves in the world or anything else, it is so unreal and stupid, but they are.

The deep web taught him one thing or two, first that there were odd creatures living among us and that there were even odder people who loved them, the second thing he learned is that the deep web should change its name to bizarre net, there was this girl recording her boyfriend shape-shifting process it seemed hurtful and dangerous she didn´t care, she just approached the creature and kissed it –with tongue- when it was done, it was disturbing and disgusting, later he read about a letter a woman wrote in a forum asking for help, she´s looking for his son who left after she discovered he was a werewolf and told him she wasn´t to accept that kind of behavior in her house, of course he was just in clawed-moon forum god knows what kind of other thing he might find if he would had dig deeper, but those one were just the tip of the iceberg, there were more disturbing videos like a couple of werewolves that recorded themselves biting an eight or so year old girl it was… is better to not think about it.

“A were…” Derek starts bursting in laughs but Stiles knows he´s lying and he has a way to prove it.

“Ok you´re not a werewolf, you´re just a douchebag” Stiles snorts.  “I´m sorry, my bad”

“Don´t play the smart-ass with me” Derek threats.

“Or what? Are you going to bit me? Or kill me like you did those guys?” Stiles says with a stern look.

“I´m sick of…” Derek starts but Stiles is faster.

He takes the flowers out of his pockets and held them in front of him, and delights himself watching how Derek´s face change from boiling red to cold blue.

“You know I was wrong, you´re not a werewolf, an actual werewolf would have smell the aconitum in my pocket, no you´re right you´re not a werewolf… You´re a terrible werewolf” He chuckles and Derek growls, his eyes shine and Stiles can see how his nails enlarge painfully, he was right, he can´t believe he was right, he is a werewolf, a freaking monster!.

“Oh you´re not a werewolf you´re an X-men, you´re wolverine!” He says pretending being excited.

“You´re gonna regret…” Derek says but then stops cranes his neck to his back quickly, Stiles is pretty sure he hurt himself in his act but there is something in his eyes, and the way his nose move as if… he caught a scent.

“Those bastards… I told them to not leave him alone” He mumbles with rage.

“What´s….” Stiles starts and then see it, the pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness at least four hundred feet behind Derek, how can they shine this hard?

“Get out of here now!” Derek orders.

“But… Get out!” Derek screams. Stiles feels Isaac passing by him.

He starts stepping back, but is too late it is already on them, it one simple blow of its massive brown furred arms Isaac and Derek fly back and fall over him. The monster lets out a shrill a launches itself toward them again Derek and Isaac stand up quickly and grab it by the arms, it falls on its back, stirring, throwing its arms and legs in all directions trying to break free, how strong Derek and Isaac can be? To pin it to the ground that easily?

“You!” Derek says and Stiles looks at him his forehead is already damp, Stiles can see the veins in his arms and neck pounding, he won´t last much. “Close your eyes, and picture the Cabin, run and don´t open them until you feel the lights, get Erica and Vernon they probably fainted and are covered with blood, wake them up”

Stiles steps back, this is going as he planned it, this isn´t good, not good at all, what the hell Derek just said? His mouth went dry, and his lungs are burning begging for air, he forgot to breathe again, _breath…breath…_ he tells himself.

“Go!” Derek screams and Stiles falls on his butt.

He has to get out of here, how stupid he were, he needs help needs to get the police, they will think he´s crazy, but… if he takes a picture… he takes his phone.

“What the hell are you doing?” Isaac cries.

Stiles aims the monster´s face with his phone press the camera button and see how it let go from Derek and Isaac restraint launching over Stiles, Stiles phone falls from his hand the thing is over him, it arching a full clawed hand and before Stiles can think about it his fingers are already digging in his pocket taking the aconitum out, and then is inside the hot and wet mouth of the creature thrusting the flower inside it´s throat, it happens so fast it doesn´t let him time react, the creature reaches its hands to its chest, it is gagging, hauling for air, it shakes its head spinning in all directions until Stiles hears a throaty sound and a mass of saliva and what looks like the soaked flower hit the ground next to him, then the monster falls on its back, convulsing, it´s body shrinking, long spasm run all over its limps the fur backing up into its olive skin as its muzzle, the shining eyes changing from red to orange and then to amber before they close and Stiles falls to his knees staring at Scott lying unconscious at his feet. 


	7. FRIEND, LOVER AND MURDERER

VII

FRIEND, LOVER AND MURDERER

 

Something knocked the air out of his lungs, Scott is lying there naked, covered by dirt and fallen leaves, Stiles´ heart shrinks in his chest until it hurts, _it is all real_ is the first thought that comes to his mind, he knows what he saw in the deep web, the things he read about the werewolves, some herbs, but… this can´t be happening, he came here just to face Derek and let out some of his rage, not to almost get killed by his best friend, tears climb to his eyes, Scott is a murderer, is the bad guy, nothing makes sense anymore except the fact that the supernatural shit is real, too real to want to do anything with it. His fingers shake, he doesn´t know what exactly to do, he´s sure the time stopped since the thing-Scott threw up the aconitum and shape-shifted from the creature in Stiles nightmares to the person he trusted more in the world.

“Monkey wait” He hears a plain soft voice say at his back and then is when Stiles realizes he´s running, escaping from the monster, from Isaac and Derek, from reality, yet his mind reminds with the crumpled body in the ground though his eyes bore now on Derek and Isaac´s astonished glances, but he can´t handle it, not anymore, he needs to get away from them, and he´s not afraid of the darkness anymore, not when the most scary thing about it lays unconscious in the forest probably awaiting to be executed. His heart aches harder with every stride he takes away from Scott but what makes it harder it’s the fact that he´s not sure if he cares anymore what they´re gonna do with his best friend.

…….

The memory hits her hard and she almost feels sick, the cameras she saw in her dad´s trunk the week after they came back, those are the cameras he´s been using the spy the whole city, well not exactly the whole city but most part of it, she has been checking the screens fastened to the walls, their home is in there, but there isn´t one outside the apartment, _good_ her dad is too arrogant to think that someone could find out his little secret, there are others in the forest but she can´t see the image well, they are in night vision or something, isn´t until she looks at the lot in her left that she realizes that they are in infrared mode, there are some red light forms that look like birds in one screen take that make her wonder, and then an idea flashes her mind.

Allison addresses the computer in the center of the room and digs between the files, there are some codes in the desk´s folders, she finds the records below those, the folder has hundreds of more inside, every with a code, Allison doesn´t need to be genius to understand that they are the screens code so she rummage the codes for the ones in the woods and look around them, they are more than twenty, it means her dad had not enough cameras to cover all the zone, well her training spot isn’t in any of screens which is good, or else he might suspect she knows something about the things he has been hiding from her, nonetheless there is a camera near the school´s playfield, a little deeper in the woods than her shooting glade and it takes her just a second to recognize it, it is the place where they went to Isaac´s rave.

Allison heart jumps in her chest, and rummages in the folders until she finds the exact camera for that point in the woods, what if? The red eyes come to her mind, and then Carlson, could it be that _it_ killed him? Allison scratches her chin trying to think about the rave´s date, and then she recalls it was the day she met Stiles and all this began, mid-October, gosh! It is just a month and a couple of weeks, this is insane, she feels like she´s been in this her whole life, fighting for discovering what the hell her dad has been hiding from her, and every time she thinks she finally reached the end of it, things just get weirder and scarier, she´s not even sure what her dad is anymore, is he a spy? A terrorist? A creep? Then she thinks about the weapons at her back, some look like military weaponry and others as if they were snatched out from a fairy tale, to not mention the freaking book.

Allison types the date in the search bar and the video pops in front of her, she clicks it and it automatically opens in front of her, at the beginning she feels like she´s watching paranormal activity or something, it is a recording from a tree´s branch, below she see dirt, some withered leaves and twigs and the familiar clearing where everything started, she advances a little the video, and see people moving quickly taking objects with them into the party spot, Jackson is among them, carrying some boxes and microphones, she goes faster and see how the light starts fading from the take until the camera went into infrared vision and bit a bit human-shaped bulbs start coming in, all of them with layers of yellow, some green and red all around, those must be the guests, the throng starts enlarging along the video, the angle of the camera isn´t good but she counted at least fifty people, but where is she? Is she already there? Allison isn´t sure, she goes a little further and stops the video when something caught her attention, there is a body, someone, inside the party… the body doesn´t have the usual yellow and purple in its body, it is all red as if the heat… who can…it´s not the only one there are three more of them, the first she saw is in a corner and the other three crowded at the far end of the camera sight, what is that? Those people… who are they? And how they can be all red? Of course it is a little hard for Allison to look at them with all yellow bodies around but she´s not wrong, they are scattered among them, but this is insane.

Something is not right in here, the full light shape of the flickering torches suddenly fades, all the bodies start fleeing in all directions, the police must be on their way by now, she spots a body falling at the ground and another approaching to help, and she recalls… those are Stiles and her, a shiver runs down her spine, they stand and get deep into the woods, far until they came out of the camera vision, fuck she thought…. Maybe the other cameras… She is about to close the video when she see it, they are back, she knows is them because they are running for their lives this is when they´re escaping from the creature, but she doesn´t see it anywhere, she´s pretty sure she saw it just above them that night but isn´t until a minute later that it appears, Allison covers her mouth with her hand, it is….a monster…. It is so big, with a large muzzle and broad body, but there are two things about it, two features that make the blood run cold in her veins, the first is the fact that it is running on its hind legs…like…like a person, and the scariest of all it´s that the body is all red, like… like the ones in the party.

…….

He´s not sure how long he has been wandering, by the time he stops he´s damp with sweat, he´s not surprised where his feet took him, he´s is in the cliff from where he fell, well from Doctor D. pushed him, he´s not crazy anymore remember? The werewolves are real, his best friend is one of them, he takes a long breath, the cold air reassures his lungs, he feels a like something cold a wet in his crown and looks up, tiny snowflakes slightly drop from the sky, it is winter already, in the horizon is a thin coppery line against the gauzy greyish sky, the sun will be up soon, school… damn, does school matters anymore? He looks down, countless feet below the uneven rock wall is the lakes´ stark surface, gloomy and steely like molten silver, Stiles sighs pressing his eyes shut, and feels it.

“You have been lurking all this time, don´t you?” He says apathetically, his eyes still in the orange now pink sunrise, he knows it.

“I just got here” Replies Derek´s harsh voice.

“I mean since it all started”

“I don´t lurk” Derek says and there is a hum in his breathing as if he´s about to growl.

“Don´t you? Then what do you call to stalk me from the shadows?”

“Save your miserable human ass” Derek spits and Stiles cranes his neck to look at him

Derek is standing in just feet behind him, next to a bush, wearing his usual leather jacket with some drips of blood on it, his white t-shirt is torn in a thick gap the size of one of Scott´s claws, there is more blood on his cheeks, long trickle crimson streaks running down his jaw line covering part of his stubble, his eyes still blazing blue, shining as if they have their own light, and still as cold as the snowflakes tall slowly dance in the wind. The way he said _human_ with such despise, made Stiles get Goosebumps, it is a reminder of how different they are, of how real the situation is, the way Derek see them as if they are remarkably inferior to him, makes him sick and angry at the same time because he´s right he´s powerless against him, or any of them.

“I had to be certain you didn’t find out the truth” Derek explains step near him.

Stiles looks back at the lake, what would his dad think if they find him unconscious down there again?

“Certain as to choke me to dead, or send someone to beat the crap out of me” Stiles snorts.

“If we wanted you dead, you would be right now, believe me” Derek smirks, and the tip of his fangs jut above his jaw.

“What about the others? Why did you wanted them dead? They said something about your haircut?” Stiles chuckles, as a brow pops up in Derek´s forehead.

“I told you to not play the witty ass with me” Derek warns him.

“You´re gonna kill me anyway” Stiles says listless, he´s a little drowsy and the air just gets colder, he can´t believe what he just said, it sounded harder in his mine, but the words came out easily from his mouth, almost as if he were waiting to say them “Can I see my dad one last time?” Ok forget about being cool about it, thinking about his dad just broke his heart.

“Why do you think I´m gonna kill you?” Derek frowns annoyed.

“Because I know your secret”

“Just keep your mouth shut and no one is gonna hurt you” Derek mumbles.

“You… were the wolf I saw the night I fell from the cliff” Stiles realizes gaping, recalling the round sapphire-like eyes of the giant creature, its fur as white as snow.

Derek nods and Stiles whistles astonished.

“But why Scott didn´t change as you? He was more like something that escaped from Frankenstein´s lab”

Angst and rage take over him just to think about Scott, is he alive? How can Stiles still care?

“Um… there… are different kinds of werewolves… well not kinds it´s more like layers or phases” Derek explains.

 He motions him to follow him, Stiles hesitates a second, before following, if he´s not going to kill where is taking him?

“Layers? Like ogres?” He asks frowning and Derek throws a hateful glance at him.

What´s wrong with him? This guy can kill him anytime.

They walk in silence for a while, Stiles is still too dazed and confused to continue asking his question, he´s not even sure why Derek is answering them if he´s not going to kill as a good villain, there is something that don’t feels right about their hike, there are more and more white spots all over them, especially in the gnarled branches of the trees, making them look like illuminated by Christmas lights, the winter is taking over the forest bit a bit, and it is beautiful, Stiles could smile if he wasn´t so scared and freezing to the bone, after fifteen minutes or so the cabin starts showing up in the distant and he thinks once more about Scott, his heart pounds his chest so hard, is he dead? Is Derek taking him there to make him get rid of the body? Is he going to bit him now? He can´t help it his heart is going to choke him, there is a lump in his throat his heart slamming harder his ribcage with every step.

“Could you just stop? You´re making me nervous” Derek breaks the silence suddenly making Stiles jump on his feet.

“What? I didn´t do anything” Stiles replies sharply.

“Not you, your heartbeat it is insane” Derek complains.

Stiles flushes, _fuck the supersonic ear_.

“I told you I´m not going to kill you”

“What about Scott? Is he dead?” Stiles asks startled by his own words, how he can still care about him?

Derek shakes his head.

“If he lives or not is up to you” Says sternly.  

Stiles arches his brow.

“But how it´s…”

“We need your help” Derek cuts him off, a note of resentment in his voice as they descend the steep path, the werewolf shifting over effortlessly and with such grace, reminding Stiles how different and powerful he is, and making him wonder what can such creatures possibly want from him.

…….

When Allison checks her phone her heart jumps in her chest, it´s early morning, _fuck_ she haven´t sleep at all, and she has school in a couple of hours, to not mention the fact that her dad might wake up anytime, she´s tempted to stay a little longer and keep watching the videos, to find whatever that creature is, she can check up Carlson´s dead tape but it might be a little disturbing, yeah as if watching herself running for her life with Stiles wasn´t disturbing enough, does her dad knows about the creature, well he must know right? That´s the reason of all displays, but… the first attack was a couple of weeks after they came back, and the first one was the same day he installed the cameras, it is almost as if he was expecting it… this not make any sense, how her dad… what if he´s the one behind all the murders, it can´t be, but it makes sense, it´s the only explanation, well she still has to dig deeper in the book, it is definitely related with whatever is going on in the town, it is so surreal, it was a person? A monster? A demon? Whatever it is, is scary, she can´t actually believe they were in the same place that _it_ and survived.

Now that she thinks about it, the odd prickle-spark that thing she feels when she´s with Stiles that is really weird, what if it is somehow related, or what she did to the rock in the wood, Stiles´ suicidal attempt, is it related too? What the hell was he doing in the woods that night anyway? Wait a second… her dad was drunk at Scott´s that night, so it means it couldn´t be in the woods, _thank god_ he´s not behind the deaths, but he knows something, why he hadn´t talk the police about it? _Come on Allison think about going to the commissary and tell them hey I just saw a monster, that I think might be a person, it is the thing that killed those guys by the way_ they will think she´s insane like…. Like Stiles…. He saw something, what if her friend has been telling the truth, he said that a monster killed Derek, the guy from the cabin, but doesn´t make sense she saw Derek in the hospital right before Stiles´ breakdown, but someone died after all Carlson maybe he just misunderstood everything, he thought he saw Derek die but it was Carlson, poor Stiles nightmares must haunt him every night and the fact that no one believed him… She didn´t even thought all the weird things that happen between them, or… He was acting weird…after he went to talk to Isaac when they found the shirt in the forest… what if Isaac… but Scott told her Isaac said he never talked with Stiles at all like ever. This no make sense.

Allison shuts her eyes and try to recall when was the first time she saw the honey skinned boy, pale blue eyes, straw hair, thing rosy lips, in the cafeteria? Probably, or was it in class? She just have a couple with him, is Stiles in those too? She can´t remember they must have talked at least once, to at least exchange notes or something, Isaac must be lying, she´s sure of it, considering Stiles weird attitude after going with him. Never mind she´s out of time, playing the detective would have to wait until later, she must come back home and pretend that everything is fine, well actually pretty good, her dad isn´t a killer after all, but he is something like one of the Men in black, or a government´s secret agency, she must find out what, the book will definitely help with that, for now she will just let everything as she found it before she come in, except for their home´s camera, her dad must know by now that she has being going out in the afternoons, musts suspects something, so… She looks in the records for a video of a normal day in their house making sure her car never leaves, gosh it is actually pretty hard, she´s reckless… that´s a sure thing, she manages to show the video in the corresponding display and presets a loop play hiding the task from his view, wow who would think school could be useful after all? Allison smirks, turns off the lights and comes out of her dad secret apartment, making sure to leave everything the way she found it.

……..

When they are steps away from the Cabin Stiles hears a high pitched moan, and something cold hits him inside, he recognizes that voice, it is Scott, before he thinks about it he´s already running inside, leaving behind the fear and the anger, an urgency to find his friend takes over him, he doesn´t even takes a look to the wooden cottage he´s too dazed to even knock, so instead he kicks the door open. They are in a living room, all made of timber, it smells like fresh wood and polish, a lamp illuminates the room, Scott is back to the farther wall, looking around startled, and frightened as a little boy, Isaac stares at him with boredom while Erica and Vernon, both glare at him their… fangs… -Stiles still can´t get used to it-, shinning in their open mouths long a sharp in their ends, their clothes are all covered by blood, as their heads and Erica´s blond hair, it takes Stiles a big effort to not throw up right there.  

“Scott” Stiles mutters, he´s startled to notice the anguish in his own tone.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Erica blurts out pointing at Stiles.

“Take it easy” Isaac says stepping between Stiles and Erica.

“He came with me” Derek says at Stiles´ back, but he´s not paying attention his eyes are fixed in Scott´s dirty and frightened face.

“St..Stiles?” He mumbles puzzled.

Stiles steps near him, unable to detach his eyes from his friend´s amber ones, wondering if they´re going to change anytime in two red bulbs and he is going to rip out his head, but Stiles doesn´t think it might happen considering how scared and helpless Scott looks right now, gaping he take a few steps putting his hands high so Scott may see where they are, when he´s just a few steps away Scott´s shaky voice breaks the silence.

“What´s… Stiles what´s going on” He lets out in a short gasp.

Stiles balls his hands and before he knows what is he doing, his knuckles hit Scott´s cheek, _damn_ his face is like make of rock yet his friend let´s out another moan and falls back watching at Stiles startled.

“Stiles what are you…” He cries but Stiles is already over him, slamming his fist hard against Scott face again an again, skimming raw his own skin with every blow that is accompanied by a painful throbbing in his knuckles as if he tried to bring down a brick wall, crimson drops, a coppery smell and a tears.

Stiles falls to his knees, why is he even crying?

“What the hell he think he´s doing?” He hears Erica say behind.

 _Fuck_ now the big bad wolves are going to see him mourn like a baby, he pulls his hands up one more time, Scott stumbles back looking at him as if he were insane, and maybe he is, because the bruises he just left in Scott face are clearing, changing from swollen red to his friend´s usual olive skin tone, this is crazy. Stiles stands up the anger, the fear, the frustration is all what´s left in his chest.

“That boy got guts” Vernon snorts.

“Stiles…” Scott starts again stunned.

Stiles balls his aching hands once more.

“Enough” Derek grunts, he´s now next to Stiles, but how? It is like he just appeared next to him in a blink, how fast can he…

“Leave me alone” Stiles replies angrily but Derek grabs him by the arm and with a simple pull, makes him stand as if he were a puppet.

“He doesn´t remember anything” Derek says dryly

He doesn´t what? What the hell does he means?

“He doesn´t know he´s… like us”

“What do you mean he doesn´t remember? Are you insane? He´s a motherfucker monster and he doesn´t even know it?” Stiles´ anger tops higher in his chest but now there is something else…relief, a part of him is happy Scott didn´t kill those guys in purpose but that doesn´t mean it is ok for wander around the town murdering people, for god´s sake he killed the guy from the bee´s did he killed him just because it was the other team´s captain?

“Something happens to him I´m not sure why, but he can´t remember” Derek explains.

Stiles isn´t sure why but all this is a little familiar to him like if he just had a déjà vu

“You were going to kill him, Stiles recalls” He´s too dazed, he looks back there is a leather couch, what is it a simple couch or a Wolf´s bed? He´s too tired to even make a joke about it.

“Give me that” Isaac says softly pointing at Stiles hands.

He stares at his hands startled, he´s not carrying anything besides blood and swollen painful bruises, He glances back at Derek while he feel a soft and surprisingly warm almost hot touch in his left hand.

“I told you he heard us” Vernon points out looking proud of himself. Stiles stares at him, he´s kneeling before Scott pouring a gauzy liquid down his they monster-boy´s throat, he´s friend isn´t even fighting back. “Sometimes he just cooperates” The dark skinned werewolf explains with a smirk noticing Stiles eyes.

“What are you doing to him?” Stiles asks feeling a pleasant warm tickling in his left hand, looks at it and gasps, it is, fully healed there isn´t even blood, is pretty clear and it smells like mint and honeysuckle, puzzled he looks at his other hand and jerks it back shocked.

“Relax” Isaac says with a devilish smirk taking Stiles right hand back, and slowly touching his wounds with his tongue, sliding it over the knuckles staring at Stiles as if he is enjoining it, the warm spreads and the hand slowly deflates before his eyes, until it reaches its usual size and color, and then something… a painful memory flashes his mind, being knocked down, covered by blood a boot on his neck, and then waking up fully cured, the fear climbs to the back of his throat becoming a lump.

“You´re crazy” He shouts standing, looking at them as if they are mental patients “That’s why I woke up without a mark the next day they almost killed me” Yells pointing at Erica and Vernon that now carries Scott´s limp body, if it isn´t by the rising and falling Stiles could think Scott is dead.

“We couldn´t let anyone see you like that” Isaac explains arching a brow.

“That´s not funny! You´re all crazy, if you´re all werewolves why turn Scott and make him kill all those people” He´s disgusted, and angry, and embarrassed, can´t help imagining Isaac and Derek licking all his limp body, it gives him the creeps.

“First, we gave you herbs for you broken bones and everything else” Derek groans losing his patient.

“I licked you a little” Isaac chuckles.

Bastard.

“Second, We didn´t send him to kill anyone, your friend just gets out of control every time we try to explain him what he is” Derek continues with a stern look.

“I don´t care what you say, this wouldn’t be happening if you didn´t turn him in a freakshow in the first place!”

“It´s almost school time” Isaac points out looking at his watch.

Oh shit.

“Isaac gets him dress and takes him to practice” Derek orders, and in a blink Isaac is in the next room carrying Scott´s body upstairs, they don´t lie when they say he is the fastest guy in the school, now Stiles knows why.

“I bit him” Derek admits, “I need him because of his strength, no one is stronger than him, that´s why it is so hard to deal with him”

“But…” Stiles starts.

“There is no time, Scotts need to go running with the team, and I think you need to make breakfast for your dad, or someone might suspect”

“You have been lurking after all” Stiles accuses openmouthed.

“I didn´t have a choice it isn´t like I like you around” Derek says sharply pressing his lips in a thin line, his temple´s vein throbbing, “After Scott´s afternoon practice, made out of something whatever but bring him here” was that an order?

“You can´t tell me what do to” Stiles snorts.

“Yes I can” Derek says with a scary grin, his eyes shining harder now “If you want your friend to live, you better bring his ass here and helps us with him or else, I´ll end up with all this crap, I´m running out of time anyway”

Stiles is about to reply but then Isaac shows up before him dragging Scott´s now clean and dressed body with him.

“You guys brought his clothes?” Creepy

“These are actually mine” Isaac complains, “When you get him the remember everything, I´m gonna make him pay me for all the shirts he ruined”

Derek rolls his eyes. “You´re late”

“I know, I know, I´m just going to drop him to his place before the suns is fully up, is up to you to wake him up in ten minutes monkey” Isaac shots a smirk and in a second they´re gone… truly gone, the door slammed open and the leaves flying up as only trace.

“You better go if you want to get at time for School” Derek says with deep voice showing Stiles the door.

“Who are you my mom?” Stiles shots back, he doesn´t care that Derek can snap his neck with just two fingers it´s have been just hours since he found out the truth and he´s already sick of it, he can´t boss him around, he´s not one of his dogs.

Derek throws a glare to him that make him shiver, the boy steps out, he still can´t believe everything that happened in just matter of hours, he almost died… again… -it is actually starting to become an habit-, he discovered that werewolves are real, that his best friend is one of them, and that the whole police department –which includes his own mom by the way- were looking for him for weeks and they thought they got him, but it was just a poor dog…. That dog… meh! Probably Derek found it to win time for Scott, and of course now Stiles is somehow their last resource to help Scott control his killing instincts, pretty much shit to just be Friday morning.  

“Hey” Derek calls at his back, when he is already steps away from the house.

Stiles turns at him frowning, Derek is in the door staring at him with is usual despiteful glance.

“Stay away from that girl” Commands in a soft whisper and closes the door in Stiles´ face.

What the…

…….

Why Allison had to spend the whole night playing the detective? Seriously she´s so tired, oh god! She misses her bed so much, and Mrs. Greenberg´s class is so boring, luckily she doesn´t pay much attention to them, and Allison is so… so tired.

“Allison”

Is so pleasant to be in the sunlight, staring at the waves in the beach.

“Allison”

Her dad is calling for her but she can´t spot him near the shore, where is he?

“Allison!” Lydia whispers highly and Allison jerks back let out a cry.

“Lydia!” She says startled, is a little dazed, the world sways before her, she is in a bright room, surrounded by curious glances and snickers, damn it must be School.

“What you think you´re doing?” Her friend reproaches.

“Sorry I just….” Allison replies groggy.

“Forget it Harris is almost…”

“Sit down everybody” The odious chemistry teacher´s voice says from the door, oh crap she almost forgets she got chemistry today.

“Thanks” She mutters for her friend.

Lydia winks at her.

Find out her dad has been lying to her like forever, or that he is involved with god knows what crazy shit, or discovering that there are monsters in the wood seems like something really hard, well forget about it, what is really damn hard is survive Harris´ class and his usual mood while she´s about fall unconscious in her seat by exhaustion, god! Her eyes doesn´t pay attention anymore to the class, she´s more interested in the clock fastened to the white wall right above the board while she fights back her drowsiness blinking richly to stay awake, it must count like some way of torture, it means who puts a clock in there anyway? Is like a reminding that they´re trapped in there for forty more minutes, forty? Oh shit she feels like she has been here inside for days and still she must stand forty more minutes, torture… that´s what it is.

When the bell rings Allison stands quicker than everybody else, every second count, every precious second, she yearns for her bed and she´s tempted to go home where her warm and puffy quilt awaits and the feather´s pillow, like made of clouds… Allison shakes her head, no, she can´t go back, her dad has cameras everywhere he will find out to not mention the scary fact that there must be video anywhere of Scott and her fooling around somewhere, but even if she´s right her dad hadn´t say anything, so it must count like a blessing right?

Cafeteria sweet cafeteria, rows and rows of plastic tables, Allison runs their usual table and sits, she just need to slowly rest her head a little, close her eyes for a couple of minutes, she feels the table´s surface against her temple, and then she drifts away into nothingness.

Someone his kindly caressing his back, oh god! She´s so tired! Please!

“Scott?” She says opening her eyes, her boyfriend stares at him with a bright grin.

“What happened to you?” He asks holding back a sneer.

“Uh? Umm I´m sorry… I just… had a long night” She explains struggling to not fall asleep again.

“Just like this one” Says Lydia´s voice in front of her, Allison looks at her she´s pointing at Stiles next to her, resting so peacefully like she just was seconds ago, oh god she´s so jealous of him right now, Allison is tempted to kick Stile´s butt just make him wake up, if she can´t then he either but something calls her attention. Lydia is… accompanied by a guy, who is he anyway? Has short blonde hair, tiny pig´s eyes and a broad neck, he´s scary, she´s pretty sure he heard someone calling his name once or twice during the game but she can´t recall it right now.

“Stiles wake up” Lydia yells and their friend suddenly jolts letting out a long gasp, he is about to fall back but Scott is quicker… really fast actually and hold him by the shirt.

Stiles´ eyes are red and swollen, he grimaces when the lights hits his eyes, they are a little red, didn´t he sleep well? Or was it something else?

“How´s that you don´t look tired? That´s not fair!” He suddenly shouts, taking Scott by the wrist that is helping him stand, Stiles looks… furious?

“And he´s back ladies a gentlemen” Lydia chuckles beckoning at Stiles to sit.

“Sorry… I just….” He mutters.

“What a way to came back from madland” Lydia says with a low chuckle, “Everybody is staring at you”

“Lydia don´t be a bitch” Allison chastises her.

“Sorry can´t help it” Her friend says lowering her sneer into a short grin “I´m glad you´re back”

“Thanks” Stiles replies smiling at her.

Allison smirks and she feels a warm touch against her neck, Scott is snuggling his nose against her making her whole body to tickle and shudder at the same time, the air is so cold today, some snowflakes started to fall pretty early while she drove back home from her dad´s apartment, it was so hard to change her clothes, and now have this dummy with his puppy eyes leaning all his extremely heat body against her, is making her yearn harder for her bed, she wish she could lay next to him and take shelter in his broad arms and sleep forever, forget about all the shit she have learned the past month and dream she has a normal life with him, like a normal teenager, lately Scott and his amber eyes, and broad arms, and his perfectly chiseled warm-boiling body are the only normal thing in her life, she can´t never tell him about all the weird things in her life, he would never believe her or worse believe her and dump her and she couldn´t handle that.

…….

Stiles has lots of questions, like why Derek said that _stay away from that girl_ or how in the hell is he going to convince Scott to follow him in the woods when it is supposed that they don´t talk at all and considering the fact that Scott knows he doesn´t like Derek or any of his friends, speaking of… Isaac is now walking by the hallway accompanied by a girl his hand on her butt.

He needs some answers like why they think he can help, he doesn´t know anything about werewolves, and he still can´t get used to the idea of they being real, isn´t like anytime soon he´s going to see one of those foul talk shows with a girl complaining that her werewolf boyfriend cheated on her with a mermaid, does the mermaids….? Never mind Isaac is about to get into a classroom with the girl.

“Isaac” he calls his name, among the throng. “Isaac”

The straw haired werewolf cranes his neck toward him, there is something in his eyes, surprise?

“What?” He says… dryly? Really? What the hell is wrong with this dog-people?

“Know what? Forget it” Stiles replies sharply.

“Wait” Isaac whispers with boredom.

Stiles stops.

“We can´t be seem together, people might suspect” Mutters in an almost inaudibly tone, his eyes drifting all around as if he´s seeing enemies everywhere.

What the hell is wrong with all of them? Really

 

Finally the day is over, well school at least, but Stiles is still far away from getting home. By now he needs to apologize with Scott for… being right about everything… _fuck_ he can´t tell him that or else he might get pissed and rip off his head, Stiles has being thinking about it the whole day and still is unable to find a single benefit in having a were-jock best friend, there must be a way to un-curse Scott, because it is like magic right? Or is it more like a disease? In that case the people would pay a lot to get a vaccine against a werewolf bite. Stiles shakes his head, _focus Stiles_. He takes sit in the bleachers, they´re desert, and Allison isn´t there waiting for Scott, didn´t they use to go out after practice to have sex or something? It doesn´t matter, better that way so Stiles doesn´t have to embarrass himself in front of her too, according to Derek they must be in the cabin after practice, -which by the way is in halftime or something like it- it is just half hour before sunset. So they partially kidnap Scott every day in noon, it doesn´t make sense, in movies the werewolves just change in the full moon, Derek looks pretty much different and definitely less scarier than Scott when he shifts, maybe Scott is from a different breed… Like…like Scott is a golden retriever and Derek a Chihuahua, well actually he´s more like the grumpy cat´s meme, _Shit here he comes_ … Scott all soaked with sweat climbs up the steps where he´s awaiting, _awkward_

“Hey” His were-friend HA! Says with a low voice “Um… what are you doing here?” There is something in his eyes, luckily isn´t a killing reflex, is more like hope, and surprise and puzzlement.

Ok he can´t help it anymore, this is too stupid, he can´t stop thinking about dog´s references and all that crap, it is so surreal like living in a freaking comic book or worse in one of those twilight movies.

Stiles burst in laughs.

“Stiles!” Scott reproaches.

“I´m… I´m… sorry” He says between giggles hauling gulps of air. “I just I´m… laughing…because this is stupid…”

“Oh thanks” Scott replies sharply.

“No… no I mean… this situation you and me… we haven´t fight since… since you broke my super fantastic hero´s action figure” Stiles says with a short grin.

“I was my super fantastic hero´s action figure and you broke it” Scott shots back chuckling.

“See? We haven´t changed at all” Stiles grins and then clears his throat. “I mean… I miss you”

“I miss you too” Scott says with a sad look. “And I´m really s…”

“No Scott It was all my fault you were right, I needed help and I didn´t want to admit it, and you were the only one there for me, trying to help and I let you down” _Damn I´m a pretty good liar_ something aches inside Stiles chest, guilt for being lying and anger for being right and being unable to say it, in other hand there is something genuine about his words, he does misses Scott, even though he´s a psycho killer werewolf, he misses him and Still can´t believe that someone with a heart as big as Scott can be able of such horrible acts, how… why? One of the things that scare scares Stiles the most right now is the fact that besides the fact knows the truth about Scott and about what he´s capable of, he feels comfortable, like when he´s at home.

“I just was worried about you” He´s friend says flushing.

“Anyway you were right about everything, actually I went to talk to Derek, you know now that the police caught the dog” Stiles starts, _please let it work_. “And he´s a pretty cool guy” _yeah right_ “And Isaac and him told me about coming over tonight, grill some beefs, have some beers”

Scott grimaces, “um… I don´t know Stiles”

“What? Why not?” He protests, there is something leaping through Scott´s eyes, what is it? Hesitation? No it is... Fear.

Scott stares at him doubtful for a second and if he were considering it better.

“Look… I know this is going to sound stupid, but I´ve been having nightmares lately”

Stiles´ heart quivers in his chest, “Night…nightmares?” He says trying to play it cool, wrong.

“Yeah, it is just dreams, but since the night you…oh god I´m sorry I didn´t mean to”

“Take it easy, I got over it” Stiles affirms with a grin, the sky is turning rose, he must convince Scott quickly and take him to the forest before he starts look at him as a dog chow´s bag.

“That night, I dreamed they hurt me, Derek and Isaac and their friends, I have been having these nightmares since then, in last night´s you were there, you hit me so hard, and you hated me, wanted me death it was the scariest dream of all” Scott stops blinking his tears away but Stiles see them anyway.

Stiles feels a pang in his chest, he feels even worst now for what he´s going to do Scott but there is no other option.

“They are just dreams Scott, look at me, do it look like I want to kill you?” He says chuckling.

Scott smiles.

“We will be there like an hour or so, then we will go home”

“I don´t” Scott says frowning.

“Please I want to do the things right” Stiles beg. “I changed… I really did, and I want to make it up to you guys” _Oh god this is insane_.

“Um… Allison went home early, apparently studied too much last night and just want to rest, and it is Friday night… so maybe… yeah why not, what could possibly go wrong?”

 _If you knew_.

 

After their little talk Scott goes to take a shower, while he waits Stiles stares how the snow slowly drifts in the playing field, melting on the grass, soon it will cover it all, Stiles can´t wait to see it, it is one of the things he missed most about his home town, making snowmen with Scott and then have snowballs wars with him and Marin, going back home eat some cake, help to decorate the tree, his lips curve in a smile with just the thought of it, this year they can make snow-wolves that would hilarious if they survive all this mess of course. After a couple of minutes Stiles see Isaac heading toward the parking lot, when he is almost gone cranes his neck and nods toward Stiles, what does that mean? At that moment Scott is climbing the steps again, Stiles stand and they both start walking out then a memory comes to his mind, something Derek said the night before right before he almost choked Scott with the aconitum.

“I think we should go from here” Stiles says pointing at the wood line behind the playing field.

“Are you sure?” Scott asks frowning, “Is farther that way”

“No… I know a shortcut” Stiles assures and guides Scott toward the forest coming throw the damp playing field in long strides.

When they are just inches away from the first trees, and the grass turns into spongy soil, werewolves exist after all, what about… he steps inside, when he looks back the school isn’t back him as he expected, something wicked is definitely going on with the forest to his surprise Scott isn´t next to him anymore, _oh shit_. What was what Derek said? Picture the cabin, that was what he needed to do to get there, of course there is a problem, he can´t get there without Scott, will it work if he tries to find Scott?, it is kind of silly but Stiles wants to do it and he´s alone anyway so… Stiles closes his eyes, and imagine Scott´s face, it is square like, long jaw line, bright amber eyes and thin lips always curved in a grin. Stiles rises a foot and steps ahead, concentrating in his friend features… gives another step, how many? Derek didn´t told him, how does it work anyway? Is like traveling across space? Oh god it is sounds so stupid thank god he´s alone, another step and then bumps against a solid yet soft surface and jumps on his feet.

“Stiles!” Scott gasps stunned, “Where in hell where you? I have been looking for you”

Stiles opens his eyes, it worked, damn… something whirls inside him excitement, and joy, he did it.

 “Stiles…” Scott starts, his friend feel his eyes, Scott is looking at him as if he were mad, and he probably is considering that he´s now in another part of the wood, facing his missing friend.

“Sorry… I just…” Stiles says between laughs and struggles to breathe, he is… sweating? But how?

“I don’t know Stiles I think we better…” Stiles hears steps and then Scott falls in the ground, Stiles turns on his heels Scott is lying unconscious before Vernon, Stiles jumps on his feet and falls on his back.

“Well done” Derek´s voice says walking by him “Follow us” Orders, and Stiles feels something scorching his insides, sadness and guilt, Scott trusted him and he lied to him.

“Wait for me” Stiles says having a hard time to keep up, his legs are short as the rest of his body, as he join them a idea comes to his mind, what about another try of… He closes his eyes again and pictures the cabin, how was it? Oh crap he isn´t sure he hasn´t see it pretty well, it is made of wood after all so if he imagines long wood slats he steps ahead and his forehead hits something hard and he jolts opening his eyes Derek is glaring at him.

“Sorry” Stiles snickers.

“You shouldn´t try it too often, gonna get yourself killed” Derek says without looking at him.

“Killed why?” Stiles says shocked and fascinated, “Is it some werewolf´s magic?”

“No… it did a Binder when we got here, he casted a detuner around the wood, to protect people, when they got in they get lost, wander around with every step they get somewhere else inside the forest”

“It didn´t work, two guys died” Stiles points out. “What is a Binder a magician?”

“Not exactly and more people would have died” Derek breaths out frowning.

“And how it is going to kill me?”

“You´re not used to distort a binding that strong, it takes a lot of will, you actually always get exactly where you want to go, if you weren´t so meddler I would be even impressed”

“Wait a second” Stiles says confused. “I´m not human?” _Holy crap_.

Derek snorts.

“You´re human, well… I´m not actually sure, you have the stunning skill of get me pissed off in seconds” Derek grunts.

 _I´m sure it isn´t that hard either_ Stiles thinks wishing werewolves can´t read minds

“But you just said…”

They are already outside the cabin, Isaac is awaiting for them at the door smirking at Stiles, after the way he treated him in school, he´s such an ass. They drop Scott in the same corner where Stiles found him that morning, and then they all stare at him.

“What?” He says confused.

“Do something” Isaac says hasty.

“Like what?” Stiles says confused.

“The night you tried to kill yourself” Derek starts with a despiteful grin.

“I didn´t try…” Stiles starts, the blood boiling in his veins he´s sick of him and his shitty attitude

“You came into the woods after you almost died…twice… looking for a werewolf” Derek mocks.

“You´re brave kid” Vernon says with a grin.

“He´s not, he´s just so stupid, he´s going to get us all killed” A female voice says from the stairs, Erica climbs down the steps wearing long blue jeans, a leather jacket and high heeled boots, “The best we can do is kill him now, before it is too late, we´re running out of time Derek, Vernon and I saw him discussing with that Lacrosse player outside the mall and now he´s dead”

So they have been following Scott too.

“Can someone explain me what the hell is going on?” Stiles demands tired of not getting anything.

“See monkey, to make the story short, Scott shouldn´t shift every night, but for some reason he does, and then he can´t remember anything of what he have done the night before, he killed a guy with who he had a fight weeks ago so deep inside his wolf he´s still conscious, and Derek thinks you might reach his humanity, before his second full moon or Erica, Vernon and are going to rip out his head”

“Don´t” Scott warns them.

“We talked about it Derek, he´s a monster!” Erica growls.

“Kill him? Why? What happens in the second full moon’” Stiles says feeling the fear climbing to his throat.

“When a brood is born, is needed two full moons to get rid of most of its wildness, they´re more wolves than humans those days, so the better is to have them locked until its done” Vernon explains.

“Good idea” Stiles says.

“Yeah let´s kidnap for three months an officer´s son” Derek says with sarcasm.

“Hey it isn´t my fault you´re so dump you can´t pick up your victims” Stiles shots back.

“What did you say?” Derek snarls, his eyes blazing startled Stiles stares at his stretching nails.

Isaac steps between their two, and Stiles sighs with relief.

“Anyway, instead of letting behind his wild side Scott is actually getting worse, so we think we won´t change even after his second moon” Isaac explains.

“You can´t do that… he´s going to get better you´ll see” Stiles assures “Wait a second, why did you bit him in the first place?”

True, they haven´t been talking about Scott being a werewolf, he has been trying to deal with the idea the whole day, but he doesn´t even know their reason, what if their planning the apocalypse or something.

“A storm is coming” Derek says with distant eyes. “We need to be ready of everything and everyone you know will disappear”

“What does that...?”

Stiles hears a groan and then Scott snaps on his place.

“What the…”

“Grab him!” Derek orders, Isaac and void hurry to hold him

“What are you doing?” Scott cries trying to let go.

“You´re a werewolf, you hear me?” Derek says sternly.

“What?” Scott snorts, “Seriously guys what´s going on… Stiles? What is all this?

Derek approaches Scott with an outstretched clawed hand.  

“What the hell?” Scott says, fighting harder get escape from Vernon and Isaac´s grip, “Let me go, what the hell is wrong with you? Stiles, what is all this?

“I´m sorry Scott” Stiles says lowering his glance.

Derek rises his paw to strike Scott, Vernon and Isaac are sweating all their muscles swollen, how strong is Scott? Derek lowers his hand, and Isaac and Vernon fly toward Derek pushed by Scott strength, Stiles looks at him, his eyes, are flashing, the color blinking, from amber to red, hair is growing fast on his face, then he stumbles and falls on the ground, screaming…. No… moaning, his already pawned hands reaching for the skin in his back as if he is trying to tear his own skin off, he whirls in the ground, the dark brown fur spreading around, his shrills of pain pitching higher and higher, oh god! Poor Scott.

“Stop it, you don´t see, he´s suffering!” Stiles yells at Derek above Scott´s screams.

“I can´t but you do” Derek replies.

“But how?” Stiles is puzzled this doesn´t make any sense.

“I saw it that night, the full moon, his eyes changed when he saw you in that glade, he recognized you! Talk to him do something!”

Stiles looks at twitching matted fur on the floor

“Scott?” Stiles says… “Hey Scott!” He yells, and then the creature stops moving and jolts upright, standing on its hind legs, shit is bigger than Stiles recalled.

“SCOTT TURN BACK IN YOUR HUMAN FORM NOW!” He shrills in a bossy voice, the sweat tickling down his temple, this isn´t good, the monster opens its muzzle and a tremendous growl comes out of him.

“Great plan genius!” Erica yells.

“Get him” Derek orders, and the werewolves surround the creature, more a snarls fill the air, they launch against Scott, and he throws then back with a blow, it´s eyes fixed on Stiles, it´s head craning his eye flickering, it is like hypnotized, until it lets out a loud moan and blood spills out of his muzzle.

“Scott” Stiles cries running toward it, while the beast shrinks, and then Stiles spots Derek pulling out his bloodied hand from Scott´s chest.

“What did you do? You killed him, he was doing better, he started to recall some things since I fell from the cliff, and you killed him you bastard, I´m gonna kill you, I´m gonna get a bundle of aconitum and…”

“Relax monkey he´s not dead” Isaac says padding him in the back, “Derek didn´t go deep, just shocked him”

Stiles sighs relieved, he though, the sight of Derek´s hand covered with Scott´s blood, makes him want to puke, it is so… disgusting and disturbing, and he looks back at Scott again he´s almost fully human again, he´s fainted on the ground the gap in his chest already searing.

This is too much, he needs to get out of here, he won´t be able to handle it, this is insane, and surprisingly he starting to move outside until he notices it´s actually Derek dragging him out from the collar of his shirt, when they are out the night has already fallen, Derek shoves him aside and closes the door behind him.

“You need to calm down, you´re his last hope, I might be the pack leader but if you don´t do something for your friend I won´t be able to stop them, you hear me?” Derek grunts.

“I´m sorry… it is just, I still can´t believe all this, this can´t be happening, how he´s going to have a life now? He can´t get married, he will lunch his family as soon as something gets him upset”

“He won´t” Derek assures.

“How do you know?” Stiles says staring at him with hope.

“After he helps me with my things I´m turning him human again” Derek says flatly his eyes shining a paler shade now.

“You can? How? Tell me! Change him now, find someone else, this isn´t working with him, see it for yourself this is a total mess”

“I can´t do that” Derek affirms stiff his face starker than usual.

“What? Why not?”

“To become human again, he must kill me first” The werewolf finish, leaving Stiles alone outside the house with more and more questions than the ones he had just minutes ago, they have a lot of work to do, if he really want to save his best friend.

…….

Oh god! Allison haven´t sleep this well since… whenever, she wants to go out and check the apartment once more, but she´s not sure, she must be careful now that she knows her dad has eyes everywhere, she comes out of bed, and climbs down the stairs, her dad room is dark, haven´t he come home yet? In the dining room she finds a bag with Chinese food and a note. _Have a lot of work, will get home late, sorry didn´t eat with you but don´t wanna wake you up_.

 _Work uh?_ She thinks.

Allison takes a plate from the cabinet and serves her meal, carrying her dish and a glass of coke she comes back bed, turning on the TV, of course her dad isn´t working, he´s probably in the apartment, staring at the screens looking for something, she takes a spoonful of rice, it is delicious she was starving when she woke up thank god she didn´t have to cook, and that she didn´t woke up earlier, she would probably had ended in the apartment and her dad would have found her, what is she going to do? How will she know when she can and when she can´t go in there? If she had a tracker like spies… wait a second… Allison grabs her phone, maybe she´s not an spy, but she definitely has a tracking system, she flips screen until she finds the _where is my phone_ app she clicks it open, luckily she got her dad an smartphone in his birthday last February, or else she wouldn´t be able to do this, she types his username and his password, and the map appears in front of her, her dad is… driving because is going really fast, and she was right, he´s heading toward the apartment and the displays, so it means free night for her, she has been so lucky he didn´t discovered her, needs to be more careful, she finishes her diner and then throws herself back in the bed, she´s still a little tired, Scott hasn´t write her, maybe she just go back sleep, tosses in her bed and then something hard makes pressure below her pillow, then she recalls she hid the book inside the pillow case, she was so exhausted when she got home that she probably didn´t feel it there.

She takes the book out and looks again at his cover, she opens it and sighs, supernatural creatures? For real? She flies to a random page and starts reading.

“Ne…Necro…Necromancer” 


	8. TRAIN CRASHES AND WILTED LEAVES

VIII

TRAIN CRASHES AND WILTED LEAVES.

 

It is amazing how easy it is to get used to the fact that your best friend is a psycho serial killer werewolf, his new routine goes like this, Stiles now only sleeps four hours or so, wakes up by seven, cooks a healthy breakfast, listen to his father´s complains about wanting something fried and covered with chocolate, he smiles and then his dad does too, the things are getting better and better between then and he´s happy except for the part where he has to keep pretending he was wrong. By seven forty five he´s putting on his cozy red hooded sweater to fight the ruthless weather and awaits for Scott outside, he gets in and Stiles drives off his porch. In the way school he asks Scott what he dreamed the night before, he tells him about his nightmares and how they are getting more disturbing and vivid every day, Stiles sighs trying to convince himself it is a good sign.

In class everything is normal, Scott keeps throwing kisses to Allison when the teachers aren´t looking, and she keeps smirking like a fool sending more. At lunch Lydia discredits Harris´ pedagogy, Tackler –her douche new boyfriend- nods and says something about sports, Allison reads a book until Scott comes over with their trays and then everyone eats in silence, most part of the team use to sit with them, including Isaac, they make some jokes, some tables away Jackson stares at them with longing –Stiles rejoices in his insides, then he feels guilty and pity for him- the jocks go back their table, some stay when the cheerleaders join them.

After School Stiles goes back home, and tries to get some sleep, Derek calls and yells at him for being late, he damns and gets out of bed, walks to Scott’s, takes him forty minutes or so to convince his friend to go into the woods, sometimes he needs for Derek to call him at the phone and howl to him over the speaker –Yup that´s the way they were doing it before Stiles joined- though it is complicated, Scott´s lapses start right after and is there is always the risk that he might kill someone in his way to the woods. By the time they reach the cabin someone knocks Scott out, he faints and they try to chain him, when he wakes up breaks the chains, shifts and try to kill everybody, just another day in Stiles´ life, it is starting to get boring to be honest, but it has been good to clear up some of Stiles´ doubts, like that werewolves can actually shift every day –of course he already knows that- but on full moon it is almost impossible for them to fight back the inner wolf, that´s why none of them helped Derek the night Stiles´ fell into the lake, he´s the only one who has full control over his body and his skills, and he had the job to chase Scott down the forest while the others awaited locked down in the cabin.

Another thing he learned is that full moon makes them stronger, they couldn´t explained well –actually Stiles´ didn´t understood- but is pretty much like steroids or something like that said Vernon, Stile´s thinks is more like heroine, Scott is out of control most of the time, but he hadn´t reached the levels he did the full moon night which in Stiles opinion is a clear hint that his friend is starting to fight back inside, or at least that´s what he´s trying to make himself and the others to believe, the only one who seems hopeful is Derek –which is weird considering that he´s like a grumpy cat, yeah he gave him that nickname, Isaac and him joked about it a couples of times until grumpy cat heard them and they ended up flying out the cabin through the window- and Stiles could be grateful about it, it really looks like Derek wants to avoid killing Scott no matter what, but of course Scott wouldn´t be a furred fang’s ball if it wasn’t because of Derek.

But saving Scott means that Derek will eventually die, and Stiles wonders how he can be so calm and indifferent about it, is he lying? Well that doesn´t make any sense considering that he could easily not tell Stiles about it and make him believe that Scott couldn´t be fixed, he just want Scott to help him and then he will let him murder him as if it was the commonest thing in the world –there is something fishy about all this-, Stiles still wonders what they meant by Storm, he knows it was a metaphor for something else –he checked the weather forecast- what is it? a war? Against what? Vampires? The tooth fairy? It doesn´t matter, he needs to know the truth to understand what the hell is going on and how he can help Scott before it´s too late, lately he sees Scott more like a pet than his best friend, _how to train your werewolf_ , she should write a book about it.  

 …….

So the book… is pretty odd, she didn’t pay much attention at its content the first time she checked it up in the attic because she thought it was a game guide for dungeons and dragons or something like that but it is more…. Complicated… is like reading a psychology manual mixed up with ancient mythology and not the kind of mythology everybody is used to, it´s weird, maybe she just have been reading a lot the last couple of days.

The book has seven sections the first is called the Binding, followed by Bestiary, Herbs and bushes, cycles, weaponry, fortifications and roots and branches. _Binding is wake up and fall, dreaming is standing up and fight, knowing is granting, living is waiting for death, and dying is release._ Those are the first words in the long poem written in the Binding section, she´s not sure what it means, but it seems like they´re talking about will power.

The Bestiary section is quite opposite of Binding´s, it has full description of creatures, supernatural creatures, with well detailed gothic-like drawings with long and slender shapes, swirled and matted lines of hair it is kind of freaking and fascinating at the same time, she has been reading a lot, like a lot about it, she couldn´t even imagine that there could be such big amount of supernatural shit out there –if they really exist of course- many come from the tales people are used to see in movies or videogames, like necromancy, she knew she heard that word before and she actually checked the term on Wikipedia before continue reading in the book, according to internet necromancers are witchcrafters who are able to bring back souls from the other world, other source says that necromancy is black magic used to take control of a death body, much of the websites didn´t change much the concept from those two but the book… She wasn´t ready for what she read when she came back to the book where a mourning black shape rested next to the description in the withered parchment pages. _Grief as any other sentiment is power, sometimes improperly used by those who cannot accept one of the most elementary tenets that rules everything, as energy itself pain mutes._ Below is another painting, a middle-age dressed-like man standing in a cobbled street guiding a skeletal figure toward a dark alley, she skipped some lines and continued reading almost at the end of the description in the next page.

 _There is no effective treatment for necromancy subjects, it can be easily detected in Binder children by their ability to absorb life from other living things as pets or plants_ _and unconsciously redirected to the subject of grief which keeps living in their imagination, nonetheless the gene is rare and the necromanciness can be appeased with therapy, Freud describes necromancy as a distort of will in result of unsolved feelings with the subject of will, casting a representation of it in corpses and corruption._ Allison frowned after reading that, so according to the book necromancy is a disease, and Binders –she´s still not sure what does it means- are more subtle to it because they can actually mold a dead body to look like the person who died, something squirmed inside her at the thought of it, she also read that necromancers somehow absorb the life that surround them until there is no more and bit a bit they start to fade in an unconscious attempt to hold in this world the fake dummy version of the loved ones, until the necromancer dies. It is sad and romantic, and scary all of them at the same time.  

She has been taking the book with her to school, but she hasn´t much time to read, she have classes and Scott´s affections to attend to, she´s so happy for having Scott with her, of course she´s not going to tell him all the things she found out about her dad or the fact that there is probably a mythical creature killing random people in town, he will think she´s insane and dump her for good, she can´t afford to lose him, he is her rock, he washes away all her doubts, fears and bad memories, something about the way he looks at her makes her sighs and chew her bottom lip while pleasant Goosebumps run down her, he´s her anchor that keeps her in touch with a normal life and reality.

…….

It´s Saturday so Stiles can finally sleep a little longer than usual, he wakes up by ten with no nightmares, it feels so good, to finally have some spare time, he doesn´t have to show up at Scott´s an made out something to get him into the forest until noon, and he feels guilty about it, he knows Scott hasn´t told him to not concern him but he must be pretty freak out with the fact that he comes with Stiles into the woods every afternoon and wakes up every morning unable to remember anything they did the night before, he must think they are drugging him or something, and it has been hard to always pick up Scott´s mom calls and tell her they are watching movies with Jackson or Studying for Harris´ awful tests. So today Stiles just wants to watch some TV and finish the books he hadn´t time to read because of all the murderer-friend thing.

His dad comes at lunch and they eat while they watch a couple of episodes of Shameless, he loves his dad´s laughs while they see it, it makes him forget about all the shit they have come through lately, Dr. Fintshood was right about something, they needed to spend more time together. At three Stiles is finishing the books, god they are so good! Actually he´s tempted to not finish either of them, he doesn´t want to feel that awkward emptiness that he gets when he finishes a good book but he can´t help it, he needs to know how they end, so he jumps to the next chapter of the 5th wave and… a horn resonances outside twice, gridding his teeth closes the book and comes down, through the living room he spots a car parked outside and then someone knocks the door, when he opens he´s sock to find Lydia there, she´s wearing a short dress high heels and her hair knotted in a bun and a big smile on her face.

“Lydia” Stiles says surprised and happy to see her.

She takes him by the wrist and pulls him out.

“Wait… what´s going on?” He asks frowning.

“We´re going shopping” She explains cheerful dragging him toward her pink corvette.

“Didn´t know you have a car” He says while they get in and she turns on the engine.

“Yeah, it´s just that Jackson and I used to go out in his” She explains with a smile, yet her eyes aren´t smiling, he feels a pang of pity for her, she really misses Jackson, why she can´t just tell him that she was wrong? It´s hard to admit but a part of Stiles is happy she doesn´t or else he wouldn´t be with her heading to…

“Shopping?” He suddenly says, back in real world, fuck he has to take Scott into the woods in a couple of hours. “I´m sorry Lydia I…”

“Oh no… you won´t let me down I can´t find Allison anywhere and I really need someone to help me pick up a dress” She reproaches driving away before Stiles had a chance to open the door. “Oh look there she is” Snorts

Stiles cranes his neck to his right while they pass at full speed by Allison´s car parked outside Scott´s house.

“Wait a second are you having a party of something?” Stiles asks flinching, something in Lydia´s driving way makes his heart rate uneasy, she´s too aggressive.

“Who thought you how to drive jackass?” She yells to a car with which they almost collided two seconds ago in the curb she took to head the mall, “Sorry what did you say? Ah yeah, a dress… hello! Sadie Hawkins dance, I´ve been putting a lot of effort with the rest of the cheerios to make a big thing, I can´t go there wearing pajamas”

“But Lydia… the ball is weeks away” He complains.

“I need to have everything ready, now change that attitude or I´m gonna have to shut your mouth with tape” She giggles and takes another curb, and yep she yells to another driver, Stiles can´t help but chuckle, it’s nice to hang out with her, despite for the fact that she´s going to the dance with that asshole of Tackler and that the dance is near and none of the school´s girls hasn´t asked him yet, but isn´t like it matters anyway, full moon is almost here and he the anxiety is starting to take over him, he needs to do something to save Scott´s ass before it is too late, but for now he just going to forget about all that crap and have so fun with Lydia, Scott can wait.

…….

She took a time and skipped the Bestiary, it is too much to read, she´s won´t lie, the book is pretty interesting, like the Herbs and Bushes section, there are so many kind of plants out there that can be used to treat injuries, she´s thrilled because she sees much of them in groceries or gardens and people don´t know about their properties –if they are real of course-, some are used to get full sleep nights, others are booster for physical strength thought according to the book the effect don´t last longer than a couple of minutes so it´s practically useless, there are others that are used as poison, there are different kinds, every type has its own dangers, like the lycoctonum, it is highly dangerous and toxic, the white one can give third degree burns just to the touch, but they are hard to find, or the yellows, according to the book a man called Carlos Linneo used diminutive dosses of it to treat Lycanthropy, with mixed results, though some of his patients experimented a remarkable decrease in the symptoms other died days after they started the treatment, nowadays it is still forbidden its use with such purposes.

She was sick of reading and reading and having no clues, has been checking up her dad the last week to get a chance and visit the apartment again but seems like he doesn´t leaves the place anymore –maybe he suspects- so she continues her research and her archery practices while she awaits for the right moment, last night she did an experiment, in the book´s Cycles section are ceremonies, _words_ and hubs –yeah this is turning weirder with every page- she took a look to few but there was a simple one that would dissipate all her doubts, it´s a simple thing used to bless silver when there is just alloys at hand –she´s not even sure what´s its use, but it is better start with something safe and simple in case crazy shit really happens- So the rite is simple, the alloy –Allison´s earrings- must be put inside a fully dark container –a shoe box- and there must be a single hole, not two, not three, one, facing the moonlight by night, with her fingers she drawn the moon shape in the top of the box three times, well actually it is her version of the ritual according to the book it was made in special shrines built for it, and the drawings were made in the concrete, but she hopes it work, she must wait twenty four hours before opening the box, if she did right the earrings should have the first halo –whatever that is- more days would imply extra pure silver and harder halos, the book suggests two lunation cycles for a proper purifying, but she doesn´t have time for that she needs to know if real supernatural shit is really happening in the town, she´s not sure what is worst that her dad might believe in demons, necromancers, and Binders or that maybe he´s right, that´s why she´s so happy to get Scott´s text or else she might screwed her experiment peeking through the box´s hole or actually opening it in urgency to get some answers.

It is silly to think about it but did actually started as an innocent studying date, Scott needs some help with a couple of classes and Allison is good at it, and they studied, they definitely did, but something inside Scott´s room, the thick smell of his cologne, the scattered socks in the floor, shirts on the table, the matted quilt, she´s not sure but the sight of it, the fact that they are alone, and that neither his dad can know they are together –she checked it up, there is no cameras in this street- makes her feel warm in her belly, maybe it is because they hadn´t see each other a lot lately but something inside her yearns for Scott kisses and his puppy amber eyes on her, the way his lips side turns up in a curve that makes something burn in her insides. So forget about economy tests, forget about psycho-dad, don´t think about the haloed rings she just want to let go, and be a normal teenager who wants to spend Saturday with her boyfriend lying on his bed.

No sex, of course there won´t be sex…yet. Allison is a virgin and no matter how hot Scott´s cluttered room makes her feel, she´s not ready yet, but it doesn´t mean they have to keep Studying until falling asleep, so there is this moment between economics and history -she´s not even sure what they are studying anymore- when their eyes meet and he brushes her cheek gently with the back of his hand, Allison smirks and he reaches for her, as usual Scott´s lips are specially hot to the touch –isn´t like she had kiss a lot boys in her life- but she knows he is different somehow, he´s special, something deep inside him have this utter need to be as near to her as possible, and this kiss is soft and sweet and heartbreaking sad, for a second she feels like she is hearing a song a painful and beautiful one, oh god the book is starting to make her lose her mind, but… no it can´t be…. But the need…. This thirst…it´s not….hers…like….like if she´s feeling Scott inside her, not read his mind but touch, slightly stroke something else deeper and more intimate.

She let go, now gaping, meeting her eyes with his.  

“Scott” She starts in a whisper distant even to her.

“Yeah?” He mutters brushing his lips against her, his hot breathing washing away the cold winter air.

“Are you ok?” She asks feeling somehow stupid for making that question, but she´s sure she felt something, it is silly even to think about it but the words come out of her without warning as if someone else takes the control over her…like…like when her arrow came through the rock.

“I couldn´t be happier” He mumbles in a deep and Goosebumps-giving voice.

This don´t make any sense, she´s pretty sure… _shut up and don´t ruin this_.

As if they could know what the other wanted, both stand at the same time, without detach their eyes from each other and slide the bed, before she notices, his hands are in her waist, his lips on hers and the heat crawls deep inside, they softly reach down until they are over the spongy quilt, his body next to her, he surrounds her with his broad arms pressing the side of her head against his chest as if he tried to reassure her to keep her safe, his heartbeat even, the rise and fall of his body with every deep and steadying breath he takes lulls her, she could easily fall asleep like this, and never wake up, leave behind everything else and stay forever in that bed, thought she knows she is right and something is disturbing Scott but she is selfish, she needs him, so deeply and hard that it actually makes her chest to ache, she can´t help it, she had fallen for him, and there is no turning back.

…….

She takes the curb at Monroe Street and stops the engine outside a cafeteria, maybe a coffee, no… something is…not right about all this. They used the dog excused to hide reality and she knows the people didn´t buy it, but what else can they do? They can let the town to get out of control, soon or later, people will realize that the wild animal is still out there, and they need to come up with a dead body and answers before the town turns into hell, nevertheless the sheriff doesn´t want anything to with it, he´s convinced –or at least that what he wants to make them believe- that the situation is settled with the dog´s death, but let´s face it, a dog couldn´t possibly be able to do such damage to the bodies, they were so….. Dismembered… it was disturbing as if…. As if the animal was conscious about what was doing and wanted to scare to death whoever found the body, and the gashes in the skin…. It… tortured its victims before killing them, as if was enjoining the slaughter, but no one in the station seems to pay attention, they say she´s crazy, and maybe she´s starting to lose her mind, the only thing in which they all agreed is in the size of the claws, it is impossible that, that dog´s paws or any dog could do such damage, but despite this irrefutable clue seems like she´s alone in this.

She has been looking at the pictures of the bodies the last week, it is beyond disturbing and sickening, she´s used to see dead bodies, but this? She can´t take out of her mind the idea of the creatures´ deliberation, gosh! Now she knows why everyone stared at her as if she was crazy when she told them about it, it sounds so stupid, yet she took the two victims files, she was going to check them up at home after taking a hot bath and a hearty dinner, but she wants it over, her urgency and desperation to find out something missing is taking over her, she hadn´t sleep well the last couple days, between the nightmares with the bodies and this stubborn feeling in her chest that tells her she´s missing something.  

She looks at the folders, _Carlson Mickens and Patrick Evans_ she reads staring at the pictures of the a ginger boy with a hooked nose and sharp eyes, she´s not sure why but there is something so familiar about him but she can´t tell right now. The other boy is brunette with slender lips and indifferent eyes, she opens both files, and start reading, as she expected both of them were trouble makers, were arrested a couple of times for drinking underage and drugs possession, both studied in James Wood´s high at the other side of the town, both bodies found in the woods dismembered. This is like running in circles, both boys were douches thought many people loved them, she remembers when Patrick´s body was found, in Beacon Hill´s high many students attended his funeral….but… let´s face it the boy was a jackass both…. What else? She´s missing something, she knows it… but this is stupid considering that means that she really believes that the creature is somehow…. Aware of…. Forget about it Mellissa is starving she can´t think in anything else right now, maybe after dinner she can sit and review the friend´s statements and see if she can find whatever she´s missing in all this.

…….

When they get in the mall all Stiles doubts dissipate, Lydia bounces around the stores staring at the shoes and dresses with bright eyes, and suddenly Stiles is feeling a little happy she choose Tackler above him, how can you please a girl like that? Seems like something complicated, yet Stiles is sure he would try if she gave him the chance. The mall and stores are already decorated according to the Christmas season, real size Santa Claus dummy sitting on his traditional crimson sleigh lifts before the fountain in a steep angle most of his brown and cream flying reindeer already hanging up in the air held by long and spidery strings, as if they are about to break out through the crystal ceiling, wait a second…Is San Claus real too? Oh would be so awesome!, he shifts his glance up and see dark green garlands are fastened to the façade outside the stores embellished with gold and red baubles all with different sizes and shapes, silver glitter sparkle in the polystyrene´s snow man scattered in the corners, it is all shining and beautiful, he´s so happy Lydia made him come, they manage to come through the throng to get to the dresses´ shop, aside the door Stiles spots tons of teenagers and kids crowding a just opened firework set, Stiles can help but giggle think about previous Christmas, Scott convincing him to get some fireworks illegally and then…. An idea…. This…

“Stiles!” Lydia shouts.

“I´ll back soon” He assures running toward the crowd.

It´s takes him about twenty minutes to convince the guy in the fireworks shop to let him buy a few, well actually he had to bribe him, so know he´s out of money in his card, his dad is going to kill him if he finds out how much he spent, to not mention how angry Scott´s mom will be, but it will worth it if he´s right about his idea. He opens the door in the dress store, it is an small place with more furniture than actual clothes, it isn´t hard to find Lydia, she´s before a rack taking a look to a few dresses already carrying what looks like ten in her arm.

“Finally” She complains, pouting her red lips.

“Sorry” He apologizes.

“I can´t choose one, they are so pretty” She says with a big smile her eyes sparkling like stars in a clear night.

“Why you didn´t bring Tackler, aren´t you guys to pick up your clothes to match in the dance?” He chuckles.

Lydia frowns.

“I can´t… a guy must not see his date wearing the dress until the big night” Explains taking him by the arm to guide him toward the nearest fitting room.

She shoves the dresses she picked in his lap and take one with her inside while Stiles awaits sitting in a comfortable sofa.

“I´m pretty sure that rule only applies for brides” He says casually.

“Yeah, whatever” Lydia says while the clothes she was wearing seconds ago flies from the top of the door toward Stiles falling on his lap. “He´s not the kind of guy who hangs out with his girlfriend for shopping, or matching clothes or anything else”

The door opens and she comes out wearing a sleeveless polyester dress, it is black and slim it is up to her thighs letting Stiles see how long her legs are, she looks so sophisticated he can´t help but gap, yet she doesn´t seem convinced and takes other dress from his hands and gets inside the fitting room.

“Actually he´s kind of boring, he spends half of the time talking about Lacrosse and how he would be a better captain than Scott” She says while the black dress flies toward Stiles tangling in his face.

“He´s like a douche” Stiles points out.

“Well yeah, actually he´s trying to convince the whole team to kick Scott from the team” Says with a little anger in her voice. “And is really pissed because just two or three agree with him”

Ok Stiles knew Tackler was a massive asshole, but know he feels the urgency to be a werewolf and rip off his head, he just hopes Scott doesn´t do it.

“Lydia how can you date someone like him?” He dares to say.

“I don´t like to be alone all the time, it´s good to have someone around sometimes, and hang out, have dinner, watch movies and have sex, you know a girl have needs”

She comes out to show him the red strapless dress she brought with her inside.

“You look beautiful” He says with a smile.

She winks at him and takes the takes the white and shouldered one.

“Anyway, Jackson…”

_So this is all about Jackson._

“Is taking her to the dance, and… I… need to be stunning to let them openmouthed”

“Lydia you need to stop this, there are better guys in school than Tackler or Jackson” He reproaches.

_Like me for example._

She comes out again, she looks… stunning.

“Look…” God is hard to not stare in a creepy way at her, she´s so.

“Stiles?” She says frowning.

He shakes his head embarrassed.

“Look, I don´t get it ok? You´re like the most beautiful and smart, cool girl I know why you have to date those morons? There are better guys out there who would give everything for a chance to show you how special you are, because you are Lydia you really are”

After he finishes, he feels how hard his cheeks burn right now, but he knows he´s right, she doesn´t deserves jerks, even if was her fault what happened with Jackson or even if she ever dates Stiles, he knows she deserves someone who really cares about her. He looks up, her eyes are sparkling but this time with tears.

“Oh thank you honey, you´re such a great friend”

_Friend-zoned fuck._

She takes another dress and heads back to the fitting room, probably to weep more comfortably.

“You… you know what?” She says and he´s pretty sure he can hear a mixture between a chuckle and a wail.

“I´s a shame you´re gay if you were straight I would definitely date you”

_Wait a second what?_

“Lydia I´m not…”

Her door sweeps back and her head comes out.

“Oh I´m sorry… I didn´t mean to make you feel uncomfortable”

“Lydia I´m not gay” Stiles laughs.

“You´re not? Oh I´m sorry I just assumed Isaac and you were dating” She says with embarrassment. “I saw the way he looked at you when you arrived and then, when I found the yearbook, remember? When he took you apart… Oh I feel so stupid”

_Awkward._

“I´m really sorry, I feel so stupid… so…”

“Lydia, take it easy, you´re not stupid you just made a mistake” He comforts her.

“No you don´t get it! I´ve been referring to you as my G.B.F” She says with ashamed grin.

“Your what?” He arches a brow.

“Gay best friend…. Well actually I used to say G.F.F for Gaiest Friend forever but it seemed like offensive so I changed it”

“So… that´s why none of the girls at school asked me for the dance?” He says astonished.

_Taking aside the scrawny and awkward self, to not mention the lack of self-confidence._

“I… don´t know… I´ll ask the girls” Says coming out half-dressed to take her purse from the sofa and pull out her phone.

“Don´t Lydia…. It doesn´t matter…really” He tries to stop her but she gets inside again.

Oh dude, this is embarrassing, so Lydia didn´t want to date him and plus she gets all the girls at school and probably the town to don´t either, is better for him to stay out of the dance, isn´t like he was planning on going anyway but know… knowing he can´t go even if he wants, it makes him feel furious.

“Hey” Says a deep and annoying voice.

Stiles cranes his neck unable to believe his hears but before he can see who´s next to him a hand takes him by the wrist and starts dragging him out of the store.

“Hey! Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?” He shouts while the crowd in the mall steps aside to let Derek walk out.

“Walk faster if you don´t want me scuff you all around the floor” Threatens the werewolf and Stiles feels the urgency to draw from the bag in his hand a handful of aconitum petals and shove them in his mouth.

“You can´t show up like this, I was in a date!” He reproaches, they´re already in the parking lot, people staring at them while he fights back to get free from Derek´s grasp, this is so embarrassing. 

“You! A date?” Derek snorts, from his angle of vision Stiles can see that half of his mouth is twisted in a sneer.

“Kind of… hanging out- date thing” He mumbles.

“Get it in” Derek says dryly stopping short in a row of cars in front of a brand new Camaro.

_Wow? Why he can´t have a bike or something less cool?_

“Wait what are you going…” He says with fear but Derek doesn´t listen to him, in a supernatural blink the door is open and Stiles is being pushed inside, in the back seat Erica glares at him.

“Oh shit, don´t tell Scott killed someone again” He says with a lump already climbing his throat.

“Not yet” She replies sharply.

“Didn´t I told you to stay away from her?” Derek yells when he closes the door in the driver’s seat and gets out of the parking lot in an incredible speed, what? His Car is a were-car? Oh! Maybe it is a transformer!, nothing would surprise Stiles at this point.

“Stay away? Why? Lydia is a cool girl” Stiles says puzzled.

“Not that, the other one” Derek roars and Stiles is starting to consider open the door and jumps out of the car, he has seen it in movies, it can´t be so hard, unfortunately Derek probably just saw something in his eyes because Stiles can´t think his door´s locks clicks and then Derek´s right hand flies up to Stiles shoulders pulling the sash over him and clicking it in the belt tongue, fine now he´s trapped in a full speed car with two pissed of werewolves, his life couldn´t be more exciting.

“Allison? She wasn´t with us, she´s is with…” He saying.

“Scott” Erica finishes for him.

“How do you know?” Stiles says gaping.

“Because I have Erica and Vernon keeping an eye on him twenty four hours seven days in the week, and Vernon told us that they´re together, alone… in his house” Derek finishes his temple´s vein palpitating so hard that Stiles thinks it might explode any time “I told you to stay away from her”

“Yeah, but I thought you were talking about me… and she´s my friend I wasn´t to unfriend her just because you…”

“You don’t get it right?” Derek shouts. “He can´t be near any other human than you for now”

“What If he decides to kill her right now?” Erica spits sharply.

Stiles´ stomach plunges down, No, Scott wouldn´t hurt her, he… he´s not …. _oh shit he´s gonna kill her._

…….

Her phone bips and flips, oh crap she was so… comfortable, Allison flutters her eyes open, Scott is staring at her with those puppy eyes full of peace.

“You have been awake all this time?” She asks blushing.

“Yeah” He admits with a grin. “Couldn´t help thinking about how gorgeous look while you sleep”

Oh god! Why he had to say things so beautiful like those?

She sits and takes her phone out of her purse, unlocks it and looks at the notification flashing in the screen, as she thought it is a report that her dad is moving, actually the map shows that he´s already driving home, damn she wanted to stay a little longer.

“I have to go!” She says a little sad.

“What? Now?” Scott asks and she can see the fear in his eyes.

She grins.

“Yeah, my dad has been texting asking where I am” She lies.

“Oh” 

“See you tomorrow” She says with short smile pressing her lips against his.

She hurries to come out before he can follow her and convince her to stay, she´s almost sure that if he asks she might made out an excuse for her dad and go back to wonderland with Scott, but she doesn´t want troubles with him, digging up in her phone she finds lots of lost calls from Lydia and texts asking her to go out shopping, fine she has an excuse but she can´t stay, her dad is finally out of the apartment, so it means he´s tired and she can go back for a couple of hours. She climbs down the stairs when she feels something prickling in her right hand and the front door burst open and a slender shape comes in.

“Stiles!” She cries a little shocked, he´s look disheveled and sweaty “Are you ok?”

“Allison!” He says happy to see her…no… there is something else… relief? She´s pretty sure he is just about to hug her. 

“Allison what´s going on?” She asks starting to freak out.

His eyes sweep the room as if he´s looking for something, she feels sorry for him, with all what happened he might really becoming insane, if she could only tell him that she believes him, but she can´t if she does, she´s will have to explain how she found it, and he would tell everybody to prove them he wasn´t wrong… and her dad… oh god! She feels like a bitch for doing this to him, but she can´t…who knows what her dad might do if he finds out she knows or worse if he finds out that someone else knows.

“Um… Nothing I…I just… saw your car and came to say hi” He replies. “But… It seems like you´re leaving…don´t you?

She nods and there it is…happiness…relief… what´s going on? Is he jealous or something?

“Well um… I guess I´ll see you later them”

“See ya” _I guess._  

Allison gets out of the house, as soon as she is in the porch an uneven feeling fills her, as if she´s been watched, she better gets out of here. She reaches her car and drives away, she´s not sure what´s going on but she has no time, she needs to be at home and make sure her dad falls asleep.

…….

“Stiles!” Scott says when he finishes climbing up the stairs.

“Oh Hey!” He says forcing a grin, he knew Scott wouldn´t do anything to Allison, he´s not crazy he cares about her, maybe those guys did something to piss him up and that´s why he killed them.

“Are you ok?” Scott asks frowning.

“Yeah… I´m cool… actually I´m feeling awesome! Actually I was thinking why don´t we…”

“Oh no! I´m not going to Derek´s” Scott says, fear leaps through his eyes.

“Hey! Why not? We always have a good time with them” Stiles lies.

“Really?” Scott asks setting his jaw.

Stiles nods, _god please don´t let him shift here._

“Stiles….”Scott stars, the fear in his eyes is intensifying, being replaced for something deeper, harder as if he´s about to have a panic attack “I… can´t remember..” Oh this is too much, it breaks his heart to see Scott like this, so broken, so vulnerable like when his dad…wait….that´s it, he knows how to bring Scott back, he knows it.  

“I´m done with it” Says Erica showing up from Scott´s back, did she just came in through the window?

“Wait” Stiles tries to stop her, but her hands are already clasping Scott´s mouth, a rush of air pass by Stiles and Vernon is now helping her drag Scott´s downstairs while he whirls trying to break free, Stiles has seen this before, it won´t take long for him to shift, why they have to be so rude? It will be their fault if he ends up killing someone tonight.

They get in the car still holding him tight to not let him escape, the car is already set when Stiles gets in the copilot seat, he just hopes none of their neighbors saw him with them, or else it will be hell when they get back home.

“Why you guys couldn´t let me talk to him? How can you complain about him being a monster when all of you are even worse than him?” He shouts while Derek drives a high speed zigzagging through the streets, the town flashing next to him in long lines of colors and lights.

“Just shut up! We wouldn´t have to come here if it wasn´t for you!” Erica reproaches.

“Right because I was the one who bit…” He stops his replies when Derek shots a glare at him.

Stiles´ eyes dip from Derek´s stark face to the review mirror where amber eyes stare at him, with fear, and anger, and disappoint, this is killing him, see Scott every day like this, hating him, turning in a monster trying to kill them, is taking all Stiles´ strength, wake up every day and see Scott smile at him because he can´t remember that his best friend is a traitor, that have been betraying him every day for the past week, taking him with the people that turned him in a monster, that torture him daily with the hope they can use him in whatever plans they have for him, it is just too much, Stiles´ hates himself right now for all the pain Scott has to came through, but what other they have?

Leans his head to the window, the sun is setting and they soon will be in the forest, and the nightmare will start all over. Derek takes the dusty path that leads to the lake, the car hits a bump in the road and everybody jumps, Stiles hits his crown with the roof, scowling in pain touch his head, Derek lets out a short and low noise and the outline of his lips slightly squirms up, guess who´s in good mood again, _jackass_ , then they hear a moan, and Stiles glances at the back seat Erica is bleeding, her eyes bloodshot, a further close up let see how Scott bit her hand, though it is already healing something her eyes says it’s better to take Scott away from her as soon as possible.

“You little piece of shit” She shrieks, punching Scott with her free hand.

A disturbing bone-crunching sound makes Stiles quiver as Scott falls back on his seat and jolting in the recoil, his eyes are flashing red, this isn´t good.

“Enough! Don´t make me stop the car because you´re gonna regret it!” Derek threatens.

_Don´t snort, don´t snort, oh crap!_

Stiles snorts, and Derek glares at him, Erica lets out another moan and Derek stops the car, the backseat doors are kicked open and the girl comes out holding her left arm and grimacing.

“You son of the b…” But she can´t end her cliché phrase because of a big snarl.

Scott falls out from the car whirling and grimacing, the pain takes over him, all the his vein popping up in his face and neck until his body starts enlarging and being covered by dark fur, his clothes shredding, hi phone pops out of one of his tore jeans pockets and Stile´ grab it, Derek comes out of the car, and tries to hold him but Scott breaks free, almost crawling to stay away from them, until he´s transformation is done and vanishes in the darkness.

…….

When she opens the front door her dad is awaiting in the dining room, his face blank, inscrutable, but there is something in his eyes.

“Dad” She says faking a smile.

“Hey honey” He says smiling too, but his eyes aren´t at all. “Sit” He orders handing her a plate with two sandwiches. “Hanged out today?” He asks arching a brow, there is something in his voice that makes her shiver.

“Yeah… Lydia and I went to the mall to pick up dresses for Sadie Hawking´s dance” She says casually and taking a bite of her sandwich, it has ham, lettuce and tomatoes with just a hint of mayo, it is delicious.

“Oh you´re planning on going?” He says with this condescending tone that is starting to get annoying, he knows, he she knows that he knows that she knows, fuck! The way he looks at her.

“Yeah… I don´t know… couldn´t find a dress for me”

“But you´re planning on going anyway” He assures.

“I don´t know dad…what is this all about?” _Go ahead shoot, tell me the truth, tell you have been lying to me all this years!_

 “Allison, you have been out of home lately… we don´t see each other much” He takes a bite, seriously they were the best friends, how they ended up like this?

“You have a lot of work to do lately” She points out maybe a little too harsh.

“I know, it´s my fault… I´ll make it up to you”

_I don´t see how._

“I just need to know something”

_Here it comes, shit!_

“Are you dating someone?” He asks with some resentment on his voice.

“Dad!” She blurts out, shocked and…relieved.

“I think I was pretty clear about…” He starts.

“Dad I…” She starts but he cuts her off.

“I know what I have said, and I just wanted to apologize and can´t…pretend I love the idea but it is also truth that you´re in age where some biological…”

“Dad!” She cries, terrified she would almost rather the apartment conversation than this, her cheeks are burning and she can´t see him at his face, this is so embarrassing.

She stands.

“Allison I just want to know that you guys are taking the deal with responsibility and are being careful”

_This is too much._

“Dad! I´m not having sex… oh for Christ sake!”

“You will... someday… and I”

Allison can´t take it anymore, she runs upstairs, shutting the door behind her.

“Allison! I´ll in my room if you need to talk! You can tell me anything, I won´t judge you!” She hears him say from the other side of her door, she fells humiliated, her dad most have seen her hanging out with Scott somewhere, fuck she needs to get rid of all the videos before her dad decides to marry them next week, she sits in her bed and looks at her left, the shoe box in is in her bed before the window facing the night sky, soon her experiment will be done, will it work? What if it doesn´t? Or worse… what if it does? Anyway there are still a couple of hours left before she finds out the truth, her dad must be taking a shower right now so he will be happily snoring in half an hour, so it means it´s time for her to play the security guard.

…….

When she gets home all the lights are out and is pitch black inside, she turns then on and looks around almost waiting to find a surprise party or something.

“Scott?” She calls out, but her son doesn´t reply.

She climbs up the stairs, turning on more lights in her wake, his room is empty, seriously Scott? Geez she hasn´t see him much lately… actually… she hasn´t see him the whole week, they hadn´t have dinner together since…. Thanksgiving. Oh god! She the worst mother in the world, where the hell is Scott? She takes her phone and dials.

“Scott where are you?” She says sharply when the call is answered.

“Hey Mrs. M” Stiles voice says casually.

“Stiles where is Scott, and why you are always picking up his calls?” She says with a hint of anger in her voice.

“Um… I´m sorry we…we´re with Jackson, we….Scott has been feeling bad for losing the past game and all that and it´s Saturday so we thought that he could practice and little with the guys” He explains but there is something in his voice, she can´t tell what.

“Are you sure nothing is going on?” She asks with her good officer tone.

“Yes Ma´am” He assures, “He´s just with the guys and I… picked the call so you won´t get worried”

“Thank you honey, I´m sorry I´m just a little tired, I think I need some rest”

“Good night” He says.

“Good night, and come back before midnight or you guys are going to regret it” She says cutting off the call.

Ok the whole conspiracy theory is driving her insane, she just need so time, to rest, clear up her thoughts. She throws the folders over the table and takes a half-eaten hamburger from the fridge, puts it on the microwave and sets a minute in the display, when it is done she sits and takes a bite, it is juicy and salty oh Simon would have loved to taste it, but Stiles would ground him or something, a smirk surges in her lips while she chews, those two. After dinner she takes off her clothes and comes into the bathroom, fills in the tube with fresh hot water to fight back the cold air, add some bath salts and lights some scented candles. When the tip of her toe touches the water, a pleasant warmness climbs up to hear spreading all around her body as she slightly gets in the water and closes her eyes, this is exactly what she needed.

Her thoughts drift away, and now she is an beautiful sunny meadow, feeling the rays burning her skin, it is so peaceful that it is impossible now to think about Patrick, the first guy in dying in that underground teenager´s party, or Carlson the boy who died in Halloween, who was a Lacrosse team´s captain, he spent half of his time in detention at school but they let him play anyway because… wait a second…. She knows who is Carlson Mickens, he was a punk who gave everybody problems, people knew him because used to harass team players, fright them days before the games so they could easily win, and Patrick she saw him one or twice, at the commissary, always because of drugs, isn´t that weird… two boys who were young delinquents both same age, same school, ended up dead, killed by the same creature, something is not right… Melissa stands and gets out of the bathroom, rushes in a second and dashes to the kitchen to pick up her keys.

…….

The only shapes Stiles can see are the one of the gnarled branches of the trees against the dim glow of the moon, damn why Erica had to be such a bitch, now Scott is missing and probably trying to find a new victim who might be any of them, luckily he has the trick of going wherever he wants, so he steps ahead and… Derek puts a hand on his chest.

“Stop” He says in low voice.

“What? Why?” Stiles complains, it is the easiest way to find Scott.

“I told you… it is risky, that night we didn´t have a choice but today is different we´re not holding Scott, we´re looking for him”

“That´s why…” Stiles starts.

“I told you, your legs take you wherever you want to be in the forest, don´t push it or you will faint he will find you and kill you, and there isn’t nothing I will be able to do about it” He says sharply, the way he says it makes Stiles quiver as if was a fact that Stiles would die.

“Hey, what´s going on?” Says Isaac showing up next to them.

“Oh you know, Scott escaped and is probably going to kill one of us, a normal Saturday night” Stiles replies with sarcasm.

“I told you to get rid of him, we need to be ready before they come for us, we still need two more wolves!” Erica says furious at Derek.

“Geez why she has to be such a bitch all the time?” Stiles says with anger.

“I heard you” She shrills and Stiles is afraid of looking at her.

“Don´t be so hard with her, she spent most part of her life in a nest, she´s more wolf than human” Isaac whispers.

“What happened to her?” Stiles asks while they follow Derek´s nose deep into the woods.

“All her pack died…they were murdered” Isaac replies with sadness.

“By who? What happened exactly?” Stiles frowns, looking back at the girl, a pang of pity hits him though he still is mad at her for wanting to kill Scott.

“There is being a gathering, a pack told hers to join them, they refused so they killed them all, she was the only survivor, she spent months hiding in South Dakota, until she met Vernon, when they knew each other almost killed themselves, both thought the other was an enemy, as her Vernon is the only survivor, they took care of each other since then until they found us”

“So that´s why they act like an old marriage?” Stiles asks taking care of keep his voice low.

“Sort of… they´re mated actually” Isaac snorts.

“Mated?” It´s sounds even more committed than marriage.

“It´s like…” Isaac tires to say.

“I know but all you are too young don´t you?”

Isaac chuckles, “It is a common thing among wolves, actually Derek is twenty two and hadn´t yet, for wolves it is a shameful thing almost offensive”

 _Ha! He´s like everybody’s single aunt._  

“So… those guys who killed their friends… killed your family too?” Stiles asks fearing the answer.

Isaac nods.

“And they are coming here?” Stiles says and the fear ties a knot in his stomach.

“If they get here and we´re not ready…. I…”

Now Stiles understands why they are so edge, they need to be ready to fight, and need more werewolves if they want to get their vengeance, but they can´t get in a town and bit whoever they want, change their life and make them do whatever they want, that´s crazy.

“I don´t get it, why Erica and Vernon don´t make their own wolves while we sort out what to do with Scott?”

“They can´t, only a pack leader can make a more wolves… it is called alpha, if they bit someone the person will just die” Isaac cranes his neck keeping his nose high, as if he´s trying to catch a faint perfume in the air.

“They? So you can?” Stiles frowns. “I thought you said only…” Isaac cuts him off.

“Derek bit me… he´s different, when he bites someone he not just makes a werewolf but a shifter, able to turn others, spread…”

“Like a virus” Stiles finishes the sentence his voice trailing off as his eyes widens.

“That´s why we need to stop Scott” The tender werewolf finishes with a smirk.

“Because Derek will be Grandma Wolf” Stiles says finally getting everything.

“What did you just said?” Derek grunts craning his neck toward him, his eyes blazing like blue fire.  

“Um… Nothing just that we need to stop Scott, before he makes more werewolves” Stiles says embarrassed and frightened.

“That´s what I thought” Derek grumbles again dipping his eyes back on the road.

“Wait a second…” Stiles says realizing.

“Are you going to bit me?” He asks, now it all makes sense, suddenly he feels like he´s going to throw up, bile climbing up to the back of his throat accompanied by a thick lump, chocking him, his mind turns numb, he knows their secret he knows how it works, the pieces start to fit together.

“You?” Derek says stopping short suddenly

Stiles almost bumps into him, the wolf glances at him from top to bottom.

“I won´t bit you, I´ll probably get rabies or something” Derek sneers with an odious mock on his face before turning back on his search.

“Yeah? Well at least I don´t have fleas” Stiles shots back angrily, who the hell this guy think he is? Stiles would be a great wolf, probably a badass werewolf, he would be faster than Isaac and stronger than Scott, maybe that´s why Derek doesn´t want to turn him, he´s afraid of how cool he could get to be, but, why he´s angry anyway? He doesn´t want to be a werewolf in the first place.

“What did you just said?” Derek growls turning back to him.

“Geez, can you just stop? You are acting like whelps, I´m sick of it, I better get out of here, it´s so disgusting and his dulling my nose I can´t be near him” Erica says rolling her eyes and taking the lead before fully disappearing in the darkness, Vernon darting toward her, passing by Stiles apologizing with his eyes, but there is an small and barely perceptible grimace in his face. 

“Oh wait…I stink?” Stiles says closing his sweater in embarrassment, ahead he hears a chuckle, and suddenly Stiles wish he could have laser eyes.

“Actually you don´t” Isaac says next to him, and there is the _grimace_ , how´s that he hadn’t notice before? 

“What do you mean?” Stiles asks frowning, “I bathed today”

Isaac laughs “It´s not that monkey, it´s just that, you have a peculiar smell that never goes”

So basically he needs to change the brand of soap.

“See below the mixture of smells humans has, like shampoo, cigarettes, deodorant or even colognes, is something else”

“So…” Stiles says without getting anything.

“It´s like your essence… like what you´re made of… umm… your soul!” Says relieved to find a proper word.

“So… my soul reeks?” _This is so embarrassing._

“It´s not that, actually is quite opposite” Isaac explains and something flashes his eyes. “Your smell is like a train crash” Explains.

“A train crash?” Stiles frowns.

“Yeah two opposite forces…. God! Umm what about…” Isaac seems like having a hard time. “See… you smell to apples and spice, like autumn, you smell to wilted leaves and old books, pumpkins and candies, to rainy days and cold air, but at the same time like meadows and musty creeks, like joy and happiness your scent is beautiful and painful, and there is this craving, this need…that makes everybody want to... I um... Look you smell like life and death at the same time and it is disturbing and intoxicating, it is…a bittersweet scent”

“Fuck” Stiles says dazed.

“It draws people to you and make them want to flee at the same time, even humans notices it, that´s why few people hang out with you at school”

“So… you guys” Stiles says a little overwhelmed.

“We want to stay away from you as far as possible, because you´re chaos monkey, you´re gonna get us all killed”

“What? That doesn´t make any sense, Derek was the idiot who bit Scott and is drawing the people who killed your families here, this is his fault not mine!” He fires back, this is so unfair, who the hell this wolves think they are?

“I know, but you and Allison, you both just makes us feel like something really bad is about to happen, that´s why you have to help us bring back Scott from the unconsciousness he gets when he shifts and then… get the hell out of lives”  Isaac says and now there is a tone of hate in his voice, he can´t believe it, they actually hate him just because the way he smell, and they´re blaming him for things he didn´t do and others that they don´t even know if are going to happen, they are so…

“Allison?” Stiles repeats puzzled. “What the hell Allison has to do with it?”

“The scent monkey… you both smell exact the same” Isaac says listless.

Stiles hears a high pitched moan just ahead of them, and darts toward it, in the middle of a clearing finds wolf-Scott surrounded by Erica, Vernon and Derek, they are all wounded, their claws and fangs outstretched, actually there is hair in Vernon´s and Erica´s faces as if they are fighting to not shift like Scott… Gross a bearded woman, and he´s the disturbing freakshow? Really?

It isn´t until Scott eyes and his meet that he reminds he is still carrying the fireworks bag, something happen he´s not sure what, but the red bulbs in Wolf-Scott´s face seem to shine harder when they see Stiles, probably recalling that he´s stuck in that shape and surrounded by those morons again because of him, so his best friend launches forward, its eyes fixed on Stiles, Isaac steps ahead stopping before them but Stiles pushes him aside and takes a firecracker and a small lighter from the bag, Scott approaches closer on his all fours and Stiles turns the spark wheel, there is a glint against the darkness and he lights the cracker, it instantly lights up with a purplish flame, the heat spreading in Stiles frozen fingers, he stares at Scott defiantly and throws the firework toward the him, It explodes in a loud thud that make Stiles´ ears buzz, he wonders what it would do to supernatural ears, he grimaces and hears a whimper a high one, opens his eyes and Scott flinches back, falling on the ground. Stiles throws another.

“What the hell are you doing? Stop that” Vernon shrieks, Stiles doesn´t need to look at them at their faces to know the truth, they´re scared as shit, he´s tempted to burst in laughs.

The beast rolls on its back, it´s eyes sweep from Stiles to his hand holding another cracker, the terror is almost palpable, Stiles throws it, and it scoots, wails filling the air, it is almost fun, but Stiles can´t let him go away.

“Scott!” He shouts, passing by the astonished werewolves about to have a heart attack, following the dull gleam of the moon bouncing in the furred back of his best friend.

Wolf-Scott stumbles in steep ground and falls down again rolling all over until a tree hits his back and stops him, Stiles slowly slides down, to not fall and scare it-him, his paces puts Scott on alert and he stands but then crouches it´s back against the tree, the bounce of the moonlight against its fur stirring, Scott´s is so scare he´s shaking, it´s-his breathing out of control, oh god! Stiles wishes he could record it but he isn´t that cruel. He reaches closer and his friend shudders, he reaches a hand slowly, aware that this might be his last seconds alive if he´s not careful, finally his hand touches Scott´s head, the hair is soft and bulgy, and so warm to the touch, almost hot it actually sweeps from his hand to his whole body and suddenly Stiles can´t feel the cold air anymore. Scott slightly pulls his muzzle up, and Stiles friendly scratches him behind his ear, the rise and fall of his breathing steadying.

“How did you do that?” Derek says startled appearing behind him, while Stiles pets Scott, now he knows from where comes that the dog is the man´s best friend quote.

“I was shopping some stuffs today, and then I reminded that most of the dogs are…”

Derek hauls him from the collar of his shirt and shoves him against a tree knocking the air out of his lungs and blurring his vision.

“Call us dogs one more time and I swear I´ll tear your throat”

 A snarl is heard, clutching his chest Stiles manages to look behind Derek´s broad shoulders, Scott is standing.

“Shut… up…. You´re scaring him” Stiles says breathless.

“It´s ok… it´s ok…” says to Scott shoving his hand in his pocket while Derek let go his grasp.

“What´s going on?” Vernon´s voice says suddenly.

“He did it” Isaac replies proudly, but Stiles doesn´t pay attention to the newcomers he´s taking his phone looking for certain song, while with his other outstretched arm tries to settled down Scott.

“Who is a good boy? You´re a good boy” Says with funny voice.

“You have to be kidding me” Derek mumbles.

Scott stays still, bowing his head before Stiles to let him pet him, he finds the song and plays it, it begins and then he feels everybody’s eyes on him. 

“What are you doing?” Isaac says puzzled.

“Scott is a victim of abuse, his mom and him actually” Explains with self-hated for share that with them, but is the only way they will understand. “Before he´s dad left, there was a week he started to blackout, when he woke up had some lapses, he didn´t recalled anything of what happened, his mom looked for help, he went to a doctor a psychologist, he told her that his mind was blocking on purpose the painful memories”

“So he kills shitty people just because he actually want´s to kill his dad?” Vernon says getting the idea.

“What do you mean?” Stiles frowns.

“We told you, he had a fight with the last guy he killed a day after, they were trying to make him fight with them, but his girl stood for him” Erica explains chuckling, it is weird hear her laugh, it´s nice and beautiful, now he knows what Vernon saw in her.

“Yeah, his mom and I spent a lot of time with him those days, afraid that he might get worse, we did good things and his favorite things to make him feel comfortable, and then I had this idea maybe his favorite song could…”

Stiles stops short and his phone slips from his hands and he gaps, Scott, his best friend, the big bad wolf who has been scaring the shit out of the town and murdering people, hadn’t shift back but has been listening and understanding everything they just said, he knows it because the round gleaming red eyes are staring straight at him with tears sliding down its face, Stiles snivels, it breaks his heart to watch Scott like this. 

…….

It took her a more than half-hour to get out of the house, her dad didn´t fall asleep easy, but now she is finally in her dad secret cave, or does she should pick a better name? Anyway, she knows exactly what she is looking for, Carlson, she needs to find the video of the day he died, but there is problem how to know where they found the body?

She stares at the computer screen, there are hundreds of files inside the forest´s folders, of course there is a time filter, so she will only look at the Halloween’s tapes, but still there is a lot, she knows it wasn´t far from the town, near Maple Street, but how to know which of the cameras is near? All the forest looks the same to her, this is frustrating, she needs to a better idea, maybe from the angle in the cameras she can see a porting of the time and see where exactly it is.

She stands and looks around the displays fastened to the walls, the forest ones are in the far corner at her left, long line of big screens, showing almost nothing, this is stupid, she won´t find anything she has to comeback in the day when she at least can see the forest and not the infrared vision, she´s about to give up when…. Red bodies… in the screen that almost touches the floor, she squats to get a better view of it, there are four red blazing-like human shapes, another yellow with streaks of green and purple with some red lines, and…. There is another on the ground…stirring an animal shape… a monstrous red shape, that is… shrinking… changing the lines in its body as it if were muting… _Oh my god_! Allison covers her mouth with her hand, she can feel her heart beat in the tip of her fingers, the shape stands and is not a monster anymore…it is… a man.

No it can´t be, this is not real…. Allison is so dazed that the world spins around her, yet she managed to turn off the lights and leave everything the way she found it before leaving, she can´t even remember when she got in her car, or how she could have get home, her hands are shaking, her mouth dry, and the imagine of the crimson figure is attached to her eyes, printed in her eyelids, she can´t stop seeing it, her dad is really something, the book is real, everything is real, there is a person in the town who is murdering people, and can shape-shift into a monstrous creature, thirst of blood and death, the world is a lie, her life is, why is she running in circles? She feels like so, darkness all around her, shadows, of the stair case, the lamps, they are suddenly scary, her dad´s weapons, her mouth trembles, she reaches her eyes with her shaking hands to find out she soaked wet, with tears and cold sweat, she´s shocked and terrified and wants to get the hell out of the town, her dad… he doesn´t know the creature is right there, right now, he´s asleep she could only wake him up and tell him, no she can´t, if she tells him and he goes out there and something happens to him, _calm down Allison…calm down…calm…_ her breath is hitching and her head throbbing, she needs to find get to her bed before she blackouts in the hall way. She opens her door and light hits her eyes giving her a headache, she squints and turns the switch on? The light just intensifies so she clicks it down and it fades down a little, what the? Next to her bed, in the desk before the window are the smoldered remains of what should have been her shoe box, and there before the windowsill is her earring giving off an intense silver light that seems reflected from the moonlight, so…. that´s it the first halo.      

…….

She is not sure why she´s even here, but they must know something, maybe Patrick and Carlson were friends, and they were into something dangerous and that´s why they both ended the exact same way, and the only way for her to find out is with Carlson friends, so she´s happy to see that the fast-food restaurant where Mike Morris works is still open, where almost.

“I´m sorry ma´am but were closing” Mike says

“I didn´t came to get a hamburger I actually came to talk to you” She explains and notices how the boy suddenly stiffens.

“Look I told you guys everything I know I can´t do nothing else” He says with a shaky voice, preparing to closing to the door in Mellissa´s face but she holds it before he can.

“It will be just a couple of questions that´s all, I know you´re scared for what happened to your friend, but you need to help me to help you all to stay safe”

“I just don´t even know why he came into the woods in the first place” The boy whimpers, brushing his hands in his apron absently.

“You were with him that night?” She asks.

“At the beginning, we just see a couple of hours after the game, he was angry because we lost and wanted to beat the crap out of that guy, but he was having a party in his house and we told him we should go, but he was stubborn I had to take my sister to ask trick-or-treat or my parents killed me, so we left him, he staid awaiting outside this guy´s house I don´t know how ended in the woods and have nothing to do with the dog I swear” The boy cries.

“Hey, easy buddy, I never said you did something” Mellissa assures him, poor boy.

“Whose boy was this? The one was mad at?”

He bows his face in embarrassment.

“We used to scared the shit off the teams captains before a game, so we could improve our wining chances and everybody said this guy was awesome, so we looked him to scare him off a little but his girlfriend made a fool of Carlson in the mall, and after we lost the game he felt more humiliated”

“The captain?” Melissa frowns, but the captain of the Beacon´s wolves.

“I think his name is Scott or something like it” Mike says and then manages to snatch the door from her grasp and close it in her stunned face.  


	9. A LONELY PUP

 

IX

A LONELY PUP

Scott´s eyes turn amber, there is no shake or moans, yet the fur starts backing into the skin and the fangs withdraw, bit a bit, the beast shifts into the a human, a broken one. When the transition is over Stiles throws himself over Scott surrounding him with his arms “I knew you could make it” Says with a grin and a little heart ache for all the crap that they have come through.

He pulls back and stares at Scott, his eyes are absent, lost in the horizon.

“Well done” Vernon says patting Stiles back, yet Stiles doesn´t feel like he did anything good there is something wrong.

“Scott?” He asks swallowing hard.

“What…” His friend tries to say, his voice hoarse, choked by what might be a lump in his throat “What… am…. I?” Asks in a whisper craning his neck to his left to not let them watch him cry as he uses his hands to hide his naked and grubby body.

“Don´t worry, we have seen the worn between your legs a least a hundred times” Erica chuckles.

“You´re a werewolf” Derek says sternly his eyes fixed on Scott´s crumbled body.

“A…. I´m a what?” Scott repeats drying his eyes with the back of his hand before daring to look at them.

“I´m sorry” Stiles says putting his eyes in the dark ground, unable to glance back at his friend, why is he apologizing anyway?

“What happened to me?” Scott demands.

“I´ll explain you everything in my place, is dangerous staying in here” Derek replies, his words as stiff as his body, what´s it that in his eyes? Regret?

_What about not biting him in the first place uh?_

“What are you talking about? Where are you taking me?” Scott looks around and his eyes and Stiles´ met, it’s more painful he thought it would be, people say the eyes are the soul´s windows, in Scott´s case it would be more like a gate, there is a heap of pain and terror inside them that is too much to bare.

“Our place” Isaac explains offering him a hand to help him stand, but Scott ignores him.

“Are you going to hurt me?” Mumbles.

“If you cooperate…”

“Erica that´s enough” Derek warns her and then walks closer Scott “We´re just going to talk, there are a lot of things I need to explain to you and apologize for, then you can get dressed and go home” Says dismally.   

Scott hesitates a seconds and the takes Isaac´s hand who helps him stand, he´s a little shaky as he trudges toward Stiles, what is he going to say? He´s speechless.

“Apologize?” Stiles repeats shocked staring at Derek. “What about apologizing with me?”  Demands, the anger flaring in his chest.

“With you?” Derek frowns “Why I would do that?”

“I don´t know…. Maybe for turning my…” _ok that´s not a good idea._ “Fine not apology what about show me some gratitude?”

Derek stares at him puzzled for a couple of seconds before answering “You´re right” Derek replies, the corner of his lips twitching up. “You´re free to go”

“What? Go? That´s you´re idea of thanking?” _fuck you Derek fuck you two hundred billion times._

But no one seem to pay him attention all the eyes are over Scott´s naked body, who remains in silence next to him, right Stiles´ is being a little selfish, he needs to think about Scott and how he´s feeling before bringing out in Derek´s jerk face the fact that a human did better than four werewolves. _Hey Derek how many wolves do you need to make one human? Um I don´t know Stiles how many? None because they´re too stupid!_ Yeah he´s going to say that later and then he´ll get a fork and make them eat the things they said about humans in front of him the past days, but for now is time to get back into the cabin and explain Scott how´s that he´s been scaring the shit out of the whole town the past two months.  

…….

The halo in her earring is so bright that Allison thinks it could make a good flashlight, hesitantly reaches her hand to the desk where just hours ago the shoes´ box was, the surface of the wood slate is charred as if it were exposed to an intense flame for a couple of minutes, the silvery moonlight filters through her window hitting the exact spot where her earring lays, she was a little concerned it might not work, the book said it had to be exposed to moonlight for two days but the moon moves through the night, but it worked, it definitely did, actually she has to squint to protect her eyes of the beam.

She takes the earring in her hand and the first thing she notices is the how cold it is, yeah it is cold outside and winter is almost here but… this coldness… isn´t natural, it spreads through her body and makes her shiver, she feels the sudden need to get into her bed, her warm and cozy quilt, so she kicks off her boots and takes to the bed and then it is all dark, she feels dazed and looks around, what happened to the light? Afraid of falling she stands there awaiting for her eyes to readjust to the sparingly unexpected darkness, what happened to her earring? It lost its light, maybe she took it before the ceremony was done, it said two moonlights after all maybe she had to take it by dawn and not before.

She is about to get in bed, unloosing her scarf and the idea pops in her mind, she stretches the hand holding the earring back into the moonlight and _holy witchcraft_ it is powerfully shining again, so that’s the secret, moonlight, she have to admit it she is overwhelmed, there are so many feelings fluttering in her chest like dizziness for discovering that all what the book says is real, anger because her dad is a liar, fear for what it does implies and excitement, excitement? Fuck that, she´s thrilled, the things she did with the earring and the pool table, and the arrows…. It all makes sense to her, she is… especial.

 A short gasp-chuckle escapes from her lips, and she gets in bed still clasping her mouth to not let her dad listen to her.

As she expects her bed is as comfortable as clouds and warm as a fireplace, she has to struggle to not fall asleep which is unbelievable considering all the things she had seen that night, but she can´t sleep right now, she needs to keep digging in, tomorrow is Sunday so she can sleep till a little later than usual, she sits in the bed takes her pillow and tugs out the book, her fingers fly through the pages and sections looking for Cycles, when she stops she´s again in the alloy´s blessing ceremony, now that the…. Spell? Binding? Witchcraft? Whatever she did is done she wants to know what use she can give to it, because it obviously isn´t a good flashlight after all, her eyes run down the paragraphs, according to the book the ceremony was discovered by a Silver –whatever that means- his name was Albert Ashcroft who stayed in a cave several nights, the moonlight cleared the Silver until it became pure and began to shine below the moonlight, every night he stared at it amazed, until the second lunation cycle was done, the dawn after the glow didn´t left, the last halo had was settled and the now his arrow head shone so bright that it was almost impossible for him to look around near it, the rock beneath turned into ice and he had to use leather gloves to take it, than morning the werewolf that was hunting him found him, it launched over him, Albert threw the arrow head at it, there was an intense light and then nothing, just burnt skin and bones remained from the beast, evidencing how strong were compared to the pure silver that was hard to find in those ages, Albert lived to enough to write his story, he had to pay a price for every halo and without knowing the arrow head snatched the life out of him bit a bit.

Allison clasped he mouth stunned staring at her earring in the darkness, oh god she thought it was an innocent experiment.

The two lunation cycles are forbidden, thought the centuries many tried to complete the ceremony and several died after the first lunar cycle, yet through the tests great advances were made, thought the first Halo isn´t fatal in most of the cases it’s useful for weakening werewolves, a piece of Alloy exposed for two weeks to the moonlight has enough strength to severely hurt enemies and leave them near dead.

Something clicks her mind.

Were…werewolves? What if?

She turns the page and even thought the Bestiary is before Cycles a tall and dark drawn shape pops in front of her headed by the word Lycanthropes, her heart squirms in her chest, she´s in that section she is in the Bestiary how´s that even possible? Her hands, took her to where she wanted to go, like when she tried to shot an arrow that day months ago, she…. She´s starting to lose her mind, that´s the only explanation… but… she knows that is the thing she have been looking for… The drawing has scaring red glowing eyes, just like the ones she saw the night it all began.

…….

Scott takes a shower and then borrows a pair of jogging pants and a hoodie from Isaac, after that Derek takes him upstairs to have their conversation, Stiles feels uneasy, he´s not sure why but he can´t stop thinking Scott will refuse Derek´s offering and will end up dead, or worse he will like the idea of getting in the middle of a wolves´ war, it is too much to bear, what if Scott gets killed in the war? Well Derek says Scott is strong, and hell Stiles has seen him do really scaring shit, so there is no doubt his friend is stronger than all of them maybe even more strong than Derek, but that doesn´t mean he´s immortal, because he isn´t right? He wishes there could be another way to turn him fully human without killing Derek so he can´t get rid of the virus-spell-curse and… what? They can´t leave the town, how they’re going to convince their parent´s to move out? And even if they do it, Derek will probably chase them and kill them, anyway they can´t leave in a couple of months or so the town will be visited by evil werewolves, they can´t just leave and let them kill everyone in the town, they grew up there, his parents did too, they couldn´t just leave behind everything including Allison and Lydia, that would be so selfish and coward, they need to stay, and fight, there must be something Stiles can do, like when he shoved the aconitum down Scott´s throat and almost killed him or his firework´s trick, he´s not defenseless, he doesn´t have claws and supersonic ears, or fangs but he has something even more dangerous, his fucked up brain and his twisted ideas, he just needs to find a way to use them to help Scott and the others save the town and the people they love.

He´s in the armchair of the couch next to Isaac, who´s playing videogames with Vernon and Erica, they´re having a good time as if nothing mattered, how can they be so calm? A fucking pack of monsters are coming after them and their leader is upstairs trying to convince his best friend –who is underage by the way- to help them murder people, well were-people but they are people anyway.

“What´s up?” Isaac asks glancing up at him while he awaits for his character in the game to respawn.

“Um… nothing” He mumbles.

“Come on” Erica says, “Your heart is beating so hard that you´re about to give me a headache” Snorts, and Vernon shrieks when he´s eliminated by her in the game.

Fuck she became a gamer, Vernon is a lucky bastard.

“I… I´m just concerned about Scott” He admits swallowing hard.

“Don´t be, Derek isn´t going to do anything to him, he´s good guy and a leader” Vernon comforts him.

“Thanks” Stiles says calming down a little.

“Now that your friend is fine we can look for our next pack member” Erica explains without take her eyes off the screen, how she became so good at games in short time? Do they really train for war or just sit in the couch the whole day and play to kill each other?

Something about Erica´s words give him a hard feeling in his chest, there is something… he remembers something…Oh crap!

“Jackson? You can´t turn Jackson” Stiles blurts out his hands starting to shake.

“What? You can read minds now?” Erica says arching her brows puzzled.

“I heard you! When you were spying Scott´s game you said something about you needed Jackson and I get it now, and I won´t let you! He´s my friend too, geez! You can´t go around and turn all my friends in freaking monsters! We just sorted out Scott´s issue!” He says the anger flaring in his chest.

Erica turns off the console and stares right at him.

“I won´t be like that again, Scott was different, we didn´t know he had daddy issues Jackson….”

“What if Jackson is afraid of clowns uh? He´ll run down the friggin town get in the middle of kids party slaughtering everyone!”

“Monkey…” Isaac starts grabbing him by the arm, “That doesn´t make any sense”

“I don´t care, I won´t let you turn any other of my friends in werewolves!” Stiles spits his ears burning.

“You won´t let us?” Erica mocks, “And what are you going to do about it? _Human_ ”

And there it is, _Human_ , said in an annoying and offensive tone as if they were garbage, god! Why she has to be a girl? Why she can´t be a guy so he can…. Oh god! He should at least hit Vernon, but he is a good guy –despite the fact that almost killed him once- he couldn´t hurt him, even if he wanted to.

“You´re not doing anything…yet” Derek´s tense voice says from the hallway and they all tilt their heads toward him, as he approaches them followed by Scott. “Scott isn´t ready we can´t risk to make another wolf when there is still one that can´t fully control himself”

Scott grimaces at the mentioning the wolf werewolf as if he was just punched in the stomach, but at least he´s not shifting again.

“Are you out of your mind? Those bastards…” Erica starts, but Derek cuts her off.

“Aren´t coming here yet”

“Are you fucking out of your mind? Don´t you watch the news? People are already starting to die in Oregon, we have days maybe weeks if we´re lucky!” Erica shouts frustrated her fangs starting to enlarge with every word.

“I won´t put anyone else in this in danger” Derek growls his eyes blazing so hard Stiles he´s afraid Erica might burst into blue flames at any second.

Erica steps back biting her lower lip, her fangs digging in the skin and blood dripping down, Vernon puts a hand in her shoulder and takes into the next room.

“You better go” Derek says to Scott, the boy nods without saying a word and trudges to the door.

“Wa…wait” Stiles says, “What is the plan? What´s next?” Asks lost, “Are you going to bit Jackson after all?”

“That´s none of your business” Derek replies sharply.

“It is because I´m the one who will have to make him realize he´s…” _don’t say a monster, Scott is right next to you_. “You know what I mean”

“No, you won´t” Derek says sternly.

“How can you be so sure? Look what happened…” _Damn this is hard_. “This can´t…”

“We don´t need your services anymore” Derek answers his jaw and his lips pressed in a thin line.

“What? Are you kidding me? If it wasn´t for me…I…um… anyway I think I might help you against this guys” Stiles embarrassment burning his cheeks.

“I told you monkey once this was settled….” Isaac tries to say but Derek speaks faster.

“You´re not welcome anymore”

Stiles feels as the night Erica and Vernon kicked the air of his lungs –literally- What the hell is wrong with them? After all he did, they can´t just put him aside, after all what he have seen, and done.

“Now get the hell out of our lives” The pack leader growls and Stiles steps back stunned, Scott rushing to step in the middle of them both.

“If you hurt him…” Scott grunts balling his hands.

“I won´t as long as he stays out of our way” Derek replies and Stiles feels Scott´s fingers circling around his arm, and then tugging him outside, the cold night air making him shiver as they start their way back home while he tries to ignore Derek´s eyes in the back of his neck, Stiles is furious, if he only had some aconitum with him, Scott would probably end up being a werewolf for the rest of his life.

“Stiles” A voice says behind them, and he suddenly stops and turns on his heels.

Erica is approaching them at slow pace.

“Can we talk alone?” She asks, there is something in her voice that Stiles can´t place.

“I won´t let him alone with any of you” Scott warns her.

“Ok” She says annoyed, “I just wanted to thank you” She says in a low voice.

Stiles´ eyes pop wide open, what the hell she just said?

“I know I´ve been a pain in the ass, but I was just scared we couldn´t make it at time, and you helped us, thought all the things we did and to you” Her new voice is nicer and soft, he likes better this Erica, “And it was actually fun watching you piss Derek off, you´re brave kid”

Oh crap she´s being honest!

“It´s a shame you have to go but it is the best”

“Yeah, I know I stink you don’t have to remind it to me” He replies listless.

“Yeah I´m sorry about that… but that´s not the only reason you have to stay away from us, if you stay you´re going to die, they won´t have mercy… Derek is too stubborn to admit it, but he said all that to keep you safe, is his way of paying you for helping us with Scott”

“Well you can tell him that…”

“Go, and never come back!” She says with a grin slightly punching him in the chin as a last gesture of recognition and respect, “If you really want to help us, go away and never come back”

She ends up and Scott beckons Stiles to follow him, he has being too quiet, Stiles is concerned about him, they hadn´t talk since Scott shifted back into his human self, but he looks so…

“Stiles?” Scott says hoarsely as they stumble in the night, “You stopped me”

Stiles stops his march.

“Thank you” His friend snivels and they retake their way back home.

…….

 In the distant darkness, inside the nothingness, there is a light, is squared and it´s buzzing, it is so annoying, far from there birds flap their wings, he flutters his eyes open, and jolts on his bed, he´s invaded by a wave of feelings and thoughts, smells and sounds, the thing he heard before is an alarm… He´s not sure from where it comes, but is not inside his home, it is almost dawn, so his mom doesn´t have to wake up yet, but it keeps blaring, from wherever it comes its almost two or three houses down the block, and yet he´s able to hear it, he´s overwhelmed and is not sure how to react, below his bed is a rooting smell, something awful that makes his eyes get teary, he kneels in the floor and approaches a hand to find the source of the stench, he grips the leg and pulls up and the whole bed flies up, he lets out a gasp and lets go, the bed falls on the ground with a hard thud and Scott scoots back.

_What the hell?_

Why none of this things happened before? If Derek is right and he has been a werewolf for three months, how is that nothing like this happened earlier? That super strength, nose and ears, that is so wrong, werewolf? It sounds so stupid, he can´t even say it aloud.

“Honey?” His mom says in a yawn, her voice echoes inside his head, and her heartbeat pounds almost inside himself, he won´t be able to get used to it.

Scott stands and opens the door, his mom is already in her uniform, why?

“Mom it´s Sunday, what are you doing awake this early?” He mutters and his voice sounds eerie to himself.

“I could ask you the same” She replies sternly but then her expression chances and she smiles, “I´m sorry, got a lot of work”

His ears can even catch the sound of her lips brushing each other with every word she says.

“What are you doing awake anyway?” She asks arching a brow, her blood flood speeds up, and her heart starts pounding hard, or it is his?

“I… just had a nightmare…that´s all” He fakes a grin.

His mom blinks and the pain flashes her eyes.

“Are you having nightmares again?” She mumbles without looking at him in the eyes.

“It…. It´s not what you think mom!” He hurries to say, “I was… naked at school… that´s all” He lies, pretending being embarrassed.

“Oh...” She says with a brief snicker “Breakfast is in the oven if you´re hungry”

“Um… I think I´m gonna try to sleep again” He mumbles and his mom gets out.

That wasn´t that bad, he had a conversation with his mom without ripping down her throat, and after a couple of minutes he got used to the things that normal people don´t notice, like sound of the breathing, maybe he can get used to his new life, maybe he can do this, thought he tries to not think about what that does mean, if he accepts joining to Derek´s gang…pack… being in a war, it´s so freaking scary, if he wanted to fight in a war he would have enlisted, but this? This is too much to bare, and that disgusting stench, oh god! He´s gonna puke.

He kneels down the bed again this time making sure to not throw it through the window and shoves his hand inside the darkness, his fingers brush a couple of books, and some socks but there is nothing else, but the rooting smell gets stronger as he stretches his head to reach closer whatever he´s looking, and then his middle finger slightly touches a hard an uneven surface and the scent spreads, he has to hold his breath to not gag, he enlarges his arm a little farther… _it´s not a body, thank god is not a body_ he thinks as his hand balls around the object, he pulls out to look at it in the dim morning light, while with his other hand clasp his nose, it is… a pizza´s crust piece, it is so tiny… but how it can stink so badly?

“What are you doing?” Says a voice at the door, and Scott jumps on his feet.

“Stiles!” He says hauling air in his lungs accompanied by a handful of rooting pizza´s scent, oh god he´s going to get sick, with  his free hand he opens the window the cold air rushes inside and he throws the disgusting pizza´s crust as far away from him as possible, “What are you doing here?” Asks when he can finally breathe. 

“I…umm…thought about coming over and…” Stiles starts but he stops, he looks around as if he wishes he can find the rest of his speech scattered somewhere in Scott´s messy room. “I´m… Are you mad at me?”

Scott gaps.

“Stiles…” He tries to say siting in his bed.

“I´m sorry, I know I messed up the things between us by taking you with them all this days…”

Right, those nightmares of him bleeding surrounded by Derek and his friends, and Stiles staring at him with his arms folded, and all the things Stiles said to him the days before the game, and the night after, and the way he treaded him.

“Stiles…I´m so sorry” He says, his throat dry, the words come out as dragged over sandpaper scrapping the flesh in the way out.

Stiles stops and frowns.

“Wait a second I thought I was the one, apologizing right?”

Scott chuckles, he´s the same Stiles, the Stiles that couldn´t keep his mind quiet, the one who spent sleepless nights imagining things and having dump ideas to get them in trouble, the same lanky and scrawny loser that couldn´t keep his mouth shut not even in front of Harris, the same absentminded boy he could crack in chortles for no reason as they walked by the street, the same Stiles his friend was before his mom died, the person Scott thought he lost the night his second mother died, but here he is, staring at him with a puzzled look, and the same time he isn´t that Stiles anymore, this new Stiles is reckless, is brave and strong, and is still loyal to him even after all what Scott said to him, and even after discovering the things he have done, Stiles is without a doubt the best friend anyone could ask.

“I´m sorry for all the things you have come through because of me” Scott says unable to face his best friend.

“Wow wait… don´t come know with that awkward crap, this is the first real conversation we have in weeks” Stiles snickers.

“I know… and I had to say it because it’s true” A painful truth that would have torn him apart, if he didn´t let it out.

“You don´t have to thank me, you would have done the same for me” Stiles assures grinning, would he? Scott closes his eyes and Stiles steady heartbeat stuns him.

“Are…aren´t you afraid of me?” Scott babbles fisting his hands on his lap, his nails digging inside his palms almost cutting down the flesh.

Stiles takes a second to answer his question, yet his breathing or heartbeat doesn´t chance at all.

“I was” He finally says with a sad look in his eyes, “But it was before I knew it was you” Adds regretful, “After that I went insane, you woke up and I started hitting you because I was angry… I´m really sorry”

“I killed those guys” Scott finally dares to say feeling the words as kicks in his stomach.

“I wasn´t your fault” Stiles says hastily, “You didn´t know what you were doing, you couldn´t control yourself”

How can he still stand up for him after all he did?

“I´m a monster… I´m a fucking monster” Scott says in a high pitched breath and Stiles approaches, putting his hands on his shoulders.

“You´re not… you´re one of the nicest persons I´ve ever met, none of this is your fault” Mutters.

How can he be so calm? So sure of his words?

“I could have killed you, and my mom and everyone I care” Scott grunts, the anger running down his veins as poison.

“But you didn´t, because deep inside, you were fighting back, you were trying to take back the control over your body, and you did it”

“No… you did it” Scott assures, and a foggy memory comes to his mind, of Stiles walking toward him in the forest and a song… it was Stiles who brought him back, if it wasn´t for him… Scott is not brave enough to think about it.  

“No Scott, it was you, I couldn´t have make it if you wasn´t trying to break free, even Derek said it, you were fighting inside, and now you´re gonna save the town, save us all” Adds with proud in his voice.

How he can be so sure? Is he blind? Can´t he see that Scott is lost, that he doesn´t know what to do? That he´s so disgusted of himself and afraid that he might turn right now in a beast and take the life of the person he trusts most in the world? He can´t hurt him, he can´t let himself harm Stiles after all what he had done for him, after the way Scott treated him, after all the shitty things he said, and even thought all that crap, Stiles staid by his side as good friend.

“Stiles…” He starts his voice scraping his throat again, harder this time. “We can´t see each other anymore” finishes and a wave of panic drowns him, but he manages to look unaffected in front of his friend, he had done so much for him, this is the less Scott can do for Stiles, release his from this bulk, save him before it is too late.

Stiles chuckles. “Dude… I think the werewolf hormones did something to you…I mean um… we aren´t dating you know?” Laughs.

“You know what I mean” Scott says sternly.

Stiles steps back, “but… why… after everything…” Stiles starts but Scott cuts him dry.

“That´s exactly why, you have done enough, if you keep trying to help me, you´ll end up dead, I don´t even know if I´m going to help Derek or not, maybe I´ll just kill myself or… or go away… but it doesn´t matter, as long as you stay by my side you´ll be at risk of dying, even if a take Derek´s offer no one is safe, he´s not sure if I´ll be able to control myself I could kill someone again!”

“But you didn´t hurt me, you won´t… I know that…”

“Think about your dad, Stiles… do you have any idea of what would happen to him if you die? You weren´t there the days after you fell from the cliff, he… he was fading, falling into pieces, he stopped eating and he didn´t speak to anyone, my mom told me, she thought he was going to die, you can´t do this to him” Scott growls, feeling like crap for saying those words.

“You can´t do this to me “Stiles replies, the anger flaring in his eyes.

“I´m sorry, but you have to leave” Scott says dryly and with a quick movement he´s already at the door holding it open for Stiles.

Despite Scott, Stiles doesn’t even blink by his shocking speed, he just stands there in silence for what looks like forever and the trudges out of the door stopping next to Scott, before climbing down the stairs. 

“It was cool to be your friend” Says with a sad smile passing by him, and then an overwhelming feeling knocks the air out of Scott´s lungs, his hands shake, his neck cranes against his will toward Stiles´ back as he climbs down, and then something burns inside him, a devastating urgency to stop him, to apologize, it is so… painful, and then an scaring craving fills him, something screams in the back of his mind to run after him, to kill him before it is too late, before something unspeakably awful happens and all the people he cares about end up dead.

Scott shakes his head, what the hell was that? He gasps and clutches the handrail to steady himself, that feeling, that fury… and fear… and sadness… But…What? Why? Shit, Derek was right, it is better for him to stay away from Stiles.  

…….

The sunrise hits her eyelids and she squeezes her eyes, her mind is numb for a second, for a brief and perfect instant, she has no name or memories and her body is drifting in the air taking her nowhere, then Allison wakes up and all the memories come to her mind, everything she have lived the last months comes to her mind, her dad´s secrets, the guilt for Carlson´s death, the coldness, the fact that she isn´t a normal teenager, that she´s a silver, a Binder, a Lycan or a necromancer, she´s not sure of who she is anymore and of what she´s capable of.

She mashes her eyes with her palms to fight off the dizziness, she had sleep so much she is still a little lost and can´t place what is the last thing she recalls, she tosses in her bed and something cold pierces her thigh, she reaches hand down, it is her earring, right it got its first halo last night, then the memory of the red bulb changing its shape from monster to human comes to the back of her mind, it is true, it is a werewolf, a human that can transform into a wolf to slaughter a town until there is no one left, it must be a werewolf it all makes sense, what was that she read last night about the werewolves?  Graham something…. Graham…. Volcy…he was the first werewolf according to the book, what else?

She sweeps her bed with her eyes, the book is lying next to her half-opened over the mattress, she takes it in her hand, she must have fell asleep right after starting her reading, she can´t believe she actually did, considering all the scary things that have been going on lately she wouldn´t ever imagine that she could easily lay in her bed and rest. She yawns and gets in the bathroom, brushes her teeth and takes a hot bath, the air is so chilly she´s tempted to not leave the bath, but she need to get ready for whatever fucked up things that might happen today, after quickly dressing up the first thing she does is take a look at her phone before even daring to wrench her head through her window to checkup her dad, her tracking system is working and her dad is still at home, but he must be awake by now, making out an excuse the stride off and head to the display´s room, he will freak out when he see what she saw last night, will he?

She gets out of her room, a quick peek through his ajar door shows her that he´s still fast asleep, but it won´t take long before he wakes up, he must be tired, now she´s puzzled about something else, why he hadn´t act yet? He has been almost the entire town and wood, why he hadn´t kill the monster yet? She climbs down the steps, and takes her time to make breakfast, she has being a total bitch to her dad lately, she can count with her fingers how many breakfast she had cooked the last month, and yeah her dad is a total liar but he´s not bad, and let´s face it, ain´t like her dad is going come up with the subject in the middle of the dinner and say Hey I´m a government´s secret agent and I hunt supernatural creatures by the way, of course she wouldn´t have believed him ever, but it´s also true he hadn´t even tried to tell her, probably to protect her, but Allison isn´t a girl anymore she can take care of herself, but does she have what it takes? Because what is the point of her whole research if she isn´t going to do something about it? She is going to act somehow right?

She turns off the stove and serves her dad´s breakfast, then takes her plates upstairs and she notices movement in his room, she closes her door behind her and puts on the latch, she doesn´t want him to find out that she has the book, he would make questions and he already knows that something is going on with her, or else the boyfriend´s talk wouldn´t came out, she kicks off her slippers and sits on the bed turning on the TV, while she takes a bite of her toast and checks up her phone, it is weird, Scott hadn´t text her, but they agreed to see each other today, maybe he´s just still asleep, it´s Sunday after all, but what if he´s awake and don´t want to text her? He might think she crazy after the way she left yesterday, maybe she… no she will look like a weird girl, her stomach ties in a knot and she takes another bite to settle it down, it´s better to not think about it.

She takes the book in her hand and her fingers take her straight to the bestiary, more specifically to the Lycanthrope page, where the same creature of her past nightmares is stares at her with flame like eyes, she takes a deep breath and starts reading, hoping to not fall asleep again this time.

……..

She has been thinking a lot about what Mike said last night, all that crap about Carlson teasing Scott to end up dead the day after, of course she doesn´t think her son is a murderer, but she feels uneasy, she´s scared deep inside, she feels like something is not right, Scott has been acting weird for a while, breaking down his curfew, spending his whole spare hours training, but also he has been lonely, after what happened to Stiles they didn´t act as they used to, no matter how hard they had deny it those days, she´s sure that something happened between those two, of course that doesn´t mean that her son has a giant murdering pet hidden under his bed… but… why she´s so frightened anyway? About what? The murdering stopped, Scott and Stiles has been spending a lot of time together lately, so whatever happened with them is done and sorted out. She shakes her head and takes the curb, drives down a couple more of blocks, checking the address in the folder one last time before stopping the car in front of a house, is it the right place? She climbs down and takes of her sunglasses, she´s in front of a one story home, the lawn is high, there is no trash can outside and the windows are broken, some shattered crystal pieces are dusty and scattered in the porch, behind her she hears steps, she turns on her heels, an old lady with a cane walks by the home.

“Excuse me ma’am” Melissa approaching the woman.

“What can I do for you honey?” The old lady says politely.

“Are you from the neighborhood? Is this the Evans family’s house?” She asks hoping the oldster knows them.

“Oh honey they moved out years ago” The woman says with a smirk.

“Are you sure?” What’s all this?

“Yes I think they moved five or six years ago” She licks her lips “Though Patrick and his aunt… Margarie, yes that was her name, they moved back two years ago it’s a shame what happened to Patrick, I know he wasn’t an angel, but wasn’t a bad boy don’t you think?

Melissa nods not knowing why.

“So do you have any idea of where I can find his aunt?” Melissa asks hoping the woman has an idea.

“I couldn’t tell, she just vanished after his funeral… no one knows where she went I’m sorry” The lady finishes and resumes her walking.

Fine now she needs to find his aunt, why is she doing all this anyway? There hadn’t been any more murdering, -which anyway where caused by an animal-, so there is no reason why she is making the fool of herself on a Sunday morning…but… there is something, an instinct… that tells her to find this woman and ask her about Patrick, and with every dead more she wants to get to the bottom of all this.

…….

It is five pm and she hadn’t got a text from Scott though she’s pretty sure they agreed yesterday to see each other today, she yearns for his arms, she wish she could tell him about everything she have found out especially about the werewolves, they are fascinating but scary creatures, anyway she won’t crawl, it will look pathetic from her to drag herself begging for Scott’s attention, oh god she can almost hear Lydia’s voice congratulating her in her mind, ok she’s definitely overreacting, maybe Scott is busy, hanging out with Stiles, they have been pretty close lately and she couldn’t be happier for both of them. In other hand Scott might be studying and maybe that’s the reason why he hadn’t text her, let’s face it, he needs higher grades and she knows that two teenagers alone in a room with the hormones and everything else won’t really care about studying, and yesterday is a perfect example.

 _Yesterday,_ she thinks and sighs, she felt so comfortable in his arms, laying in his bed both cuddling, she knows there wasn’t any sexual contact at all, but it was so hot and intimate, and if Scott was someone she knows from her whole life, in whose arms she can lay and drift away, because no matter what his arms will be always holding her, keeping her steady on uneven ground.

In other news her dad hadn’t got out of home in the whole day, instead he spent the afternoon after lunch locked down in his room, she’s not sure what he has been doing there all this time, but definitely has something to do with the town’s werewolf, it’s a shame she didn’t know he would stay home today she would rather visit the display room again, look for more videos of the creature to make sure it is a werewolf though but after all what she had read there is no doubt she was right.

According to the book, the Poetic Edda spoke about the first werewolf as the son of Fenrir who was the son of Loki the shape shifter, nonetheless the first real record of the Fenrir and his son -the loup-garou- dates back to 1763, when the Fenrir desolated the old Lozère, the only survivor was a beautiful and young lady, Fenrir took her with him and sexually abused of her, she died seven months later giving birth an abomination, the lycanthrope as it was named in still discussed Greek’s tales, was a morbid beast with the same hunger for murdering as his progenitor, but with the remarkable difference that this one was able to turn into a human as long as he wanted and mix among them, lure them into traps, except for the full moon, when he couldn’t control his transformation and was forced to turn back into his human form. Loup-garou -in later texts known as Graham Volcy- and his father Fenrir terrorized the south of France for decades until the first one was finally defeated by villagers that discovered the poisonous proprieties of the silver for the beast, Graham escaped after his father’s dead and was never found again.

It is a really creepy story, to think that a demon-wolf was alive and that whoever wrote the book and her dad believe it just makes it worse because it means that it is truth. After that she read a little more of modern studies made by Elders on dissected specimens, there are different kinds of werewolves and their abilities differ depending on their condition’s acquisition, for example a born werewolf would have more chances to develops it’s bipedalism in late years of childhood –thought it’s a rare aptitude that no all can achieve- while for bitten ones that get to accomplish it typically get it by the late thirty years old, though it is also known that in the vast majority of the cases the bitten werewolf never develops such ability.   

Speaking of Bipedalism, the term isn’t in a literal way, it actually means the capacity to satisfactorily suppress all the remarkable symptoms of lycanthropy like the extreme body heat or the enlargement of claws and fangs but preserving a highly accurate sense of smell, unmeasurable strength, extremely high regenerative skills among many others, that’s the reason why they are the most dangerous of all werewolves, luckily Allison knows the town isn’t facing an Bipedalist but a wildling, a werewolf that its unable to control its actions, they are very aggressive, many subjects of study plead the existence of a term called “inner wolf” as an alter ego that takes control of their body during circumstances of high stress or during full moon night’s, Freud explains the inner wolf phenomenon as a manifestation of the subconscious in its most primitive state, it is easy to identify a wildling, there are two easily recognizable signs, the first is the half-morphed body of it between a human torso with wolf’s features as hind legs, the second sign is the red in the eyes, a werewolf in full possession of its mental reasoning abilities, conserves it’s eyes color in any of its forms, in other hand wildlings’ eyes turn red while they are in such state, so basically whoever is killing people in the town is doing it because hated those guys, probably a victim of bullying considering Carlson’s profile thought she’s not sure about the other victim.

The other kind of werewolf or better said the last development phase are the Fourers or true form werewolf, it’s the next stage of growing for a young werewolf when they have full control of their bodies and abilities thought they are not capable of fully enjoy them in their human form as a bipedalist, according to the studies a non-bipedalist is able of using ten percent of their talents in their human form Wildling or Fourer. Fourers’ true form is of a common wolf except for their size which is forty percent larger than a regular wolf. The next paragraph are the infection modes, not everybody survives the bite, there are three type of victims, the first kind develops the disease in matter of hours though there having documented cases where the person started showing the symptoms even two days later, the second type of victim is the most frequent, the person dies half hour after being bitten because of the toxins in that spread through the blood flow, and then is a third kind, people that is immune, they survive the poisonous effects of the infection though most come through a painful recovering of the wounds but within days all traces of the toxins vanishes in the body, many studies have been made with the subject’s blood with the hope of finding a cure for Lycanthropy but unluckily there isn’t still a clear explanation of why they can survive the immersive effects of the infection given by the bite, though many think it is related with the blood type of the victims, a recent study showed that the forty percent of the immune subjects had AB+ as their blood type.

Also  there are many ways of getting infected with Lycanthropy the most common of all is the bite given by an Alpha or pack leader, there have been a lot of controversy among the scientist’s Binding community, some say that all werewolves are capable of being infectious with the disease thought many studies are proved them wrong, other’s agreed that indeed all werewolves can spread the disease in healthy humans thought there is something called the underling pheromone, it is a chemical substance secreted by pack leaders –also known as Alphas- that inhibits the rest of the pack’s members capability of producing the virus. Other studies showed that consuming large amounts of werewolf blood can induce infection, there is also risk of vertically transition of the infection from mother to fetus in the process of gestation for women that had been bitten, also since 1940 there have been a significant increase in cases of victims of raping and people that with consent had sexual contact with Wildlings and Fourers that months later started to show symptoms of lycanthropy and eventually developed the disease.

Hell!, forget everything you now about sexual education, forget about AIDS this is serious shit, the lycanthropy is a really scary thing, so she’s not even sure anymore of the reasons of the local werewolf, or why her dad hasn’t acted yet, this is seriously wrong, a part of her is relieved her dad hasn’t gone after that thing, he might end up dead, no! It is almost certain he will, he would be defenseless against that thing she can’t even imagine how it would be if the werewolf were a Bipedalist, this is wrong, seriously wrong. She puts the book down her pillow and breaths, her eyes are burning and her head is clouded, too much information. She gets out of her room to get a glass of water, when she passes by her dad’s door an unintelligible mumble stops her, her heats skips a beat, is someone in there with him?

She hesitantly approaches the door, pulls back her hair and presses her ear against the polished wood door.

“Because I’m still not sure” Her dad’s voice angrily,

There is a long pause before he speaks again.

 “You know what a think about it” threatens.

So he’s speaking by the phone with someone, who could it be? A silver? Binder? Wizard? Men in black?

“No, things have been pretty quiet lately”

So he hadn’t see last night’s video yet.

“How long?”

There is a short pause.

“No, I need you to be here before full moon, I’m telling I fucked it, I got distracted last full moon and a kid died, I could have been my daughter”

Another pause.

“So you can?” Says with some relief in his voice. “Thank you, I wouldn’t ask if I thought I could handle it by my own”

A short pause.

“They can’t know it is me, ok? Thank you, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks” Her dad finishes cutting the call.

Allison hurries to dash downstairs with her hand in her chest and her breathing high pitched, her dad… is going to hunt the werewolf, he’s going to kill it, all this shit is going to end soon, but… when is the next full moon?

…….

Cole is late again, which means that Scott musts run an extra hour because of him, damn he’s going the be late at school and today is history’s exam, as usual Tackler is mocking at him while they start the running down the streets, the short necked jock has being giving enough shit lately to Scott and he’s starting to fall in his game, last week was insane with all the times he jabbed Scott in practice, he’s teasing him, he wants to start a fight to get Scott’s ass in trouble with the coach, to not mention that half of team agrees with him that is Scott’s fault that they have lost the past game against the Middlebrooks High’s Wildcats, they’re so inconsiderate, the had no idea of how hard is to be the captain when you’re just a sophomore and try to deal with the fact that your best friend tried to kill himself –oh! Right it is a lie- but almost died because of you and yeah you’re a mythical creature that have been killing people and because has been recruited by an asshole and his group of crazy shit friends to save the town against an army of beasts.

When the coach blows the whistle they start running, Scott being as near to Cole as possible to not give Tackler the chance to tease the poor freshmen, when Tackler takes the lead he feels more confident and starts striding faster, Jackson and Isaac quickly join him in the top and their little personal competition starts. Running with the guys is liberating and refreshing considering how hard the things have been lately is good to feel like he’s part of something, and Isaac and Jackson are the only ones who still believe in him as the true team captain, thought now he knows Isaac’s friendship was never real and he’s only doing what Derek told him to, but yet nothing had change, in minutes Jackson is behind pushing harder to approach them his forehead damp with sweat while Isaac gracefully slides into the lead effortlessly, but this time Scott doesn’t give up so easily, actually he has been doing extremely great this morning he’s taking Isaac to his limits or at least that’s what he thinks because for the first time he notices the boy’s flushed cheeks and the tension in his muscles, Scott’s endurance has increased significantly as his speed. When they are about to start the third lap around the streets Isaac glares at him and he gets it, they are going too fast, like really, really too fast, Isaac hasn’t showed him all his capacity he has been just trying to make Scott realize that he’s exposing himself in front of the rest of the team, fuck he starts slowing down his pace until he hits a normal rate.

After a shower he gets out of home and from the walkway stares at Stiles’ jeep sliding out of the neighborhood a pang of guilt and sadness hits him in the guts, he knows it’s been just a day be he already misses Stiles, maybe he feels so shitty because he knows this time there is no way back, this time they’re done for good, he keeps saying to himself it is the best, he needs to protect Stiles but they can’t be friends anymore, not until he stops being a monster and he’s not even sure if that’s possible, but it doesn’t matter right now there are still other painful things he must do.

When he gets into the classroom the class hadn’t started yet, thank god, actually most of the chairs are empty which means that many of his classmates didn’t feel like coming to school, at the back of the room is Stiles his brown eyes bored in the board listlessly, next to him is Allison checking up her cellphone, too risky. Scotts takes a sit in the top of the first line next to Cassidy Lewis and Rachel Mackenzie rant about their friend Lauren for not coming to School, Scott rather to look take a quick glance to his History’s notes and then he feels eyes on his nape, someone –Stiles or Allison- are staring at him, when this fault is going to go? Luckily the professor gets in the classroom and starts the lesson being impressed by the lack of students.

In the second period they have the History’s exam and yeah he shares this class with both Stiles and Allison, also Lydia joins them and the first thing she does when she sits with her friends is punch Stiles’ in the arm and complain about him dumping her in a store, he’s amazed about how sharp his hearing has become if he only could hear someone whispering the answers in the test everything would be perfect. As he expected the question are long, it will take hours for him to answer them all. It takes him fifteen minutes to answer the first one and he’s not even sure if he’s right, he slightly tilts his head, Stiles’ head is down on his test as Allison, but he can feel it, they’re looking at him through the corner of their eyes, it is annoying, he needs to focus, reads the second question, oh crap he doesn’t know this one, cranes his neck again, he can’t stop it, the guilt keeps kicking him in the stomach, dragging the air out of his lungs, he… he is breathless… he actually is… next question, he doesn’t know this one either, oh damn! He’s going to fail, the pencils scraping against the sheets, someone sneezes and other coughs, this is not ok, next question, more eyes, more pencils and scrapings, someone coughs again next question, the pang, next question, the pencils, the stares, the scraping, he can’t take it, he can’t take it anymore he… he… where’s is the air? Why the room is spinning?

“Mr. McCall?” He hears Mr. Turner’s voice calling after him, but he’s already out.

…….

Before she notices she stands in a jolt, leaving her text behind.

“Ms. Argent” Mr. Turner says but she ignores him as Scott just did.

She comes out of the classroom, running into a couple of guys who are just passing by, she apologizes and looks around, the hallway is almost empty and yet there is no trace of Scott, hell he’s really fast, yet it takes her a couple of seconds to realize where Scott is, in this floor the boy’s room is between the lockers in front of the library so that’s the first place where she looks before going somewhere else, when she reaches the door stops in a halt, this is the boy’s bathroom a forbidden territory for girls, she hesitantly holds the handle and get in, as fast as she gets in, her fear is washed away, it is just as a girls’ bathroom except for the urinals, the reek air and the jerks with their sneers staring at her, ok bad idea, she scoots back and gets out of their way before they say something they would definitely regret.

She finds Scott in the playfield, sitting in the bleachers with his face on his palms, his elbows resting on his knees as if he’s going through a lot of pain.  

“Hey” She says with concern sitting next to him, “Are you ok?” Ok that’s not the smartest question just look at him. “You don’t need to worry, we can study harder for the next one, really study not…well you know”

She chuckles, but Scott remains silent.

“Scott?” She says starting to get really concerned “What’s going on? Does it have something to do with Stiles?”

He takes of his hands and looks up at her, he’s sweating which is stupid considering how cold the air is.

“Are you sick?”

“Did he tell you something” He asks hoarsely.

“No, I just assumed that as you sat so far from him, maybe… seriously what’s going between you too? You’re having fights all the time”

This must have something to do with Stiles’ accident in the woods, oh god maybe they have been arguing about it again, she wishes she can tell Scott the truth that something tried to kill his best friend and that it is probably the reason he fell from that cliff, to settle down the things between the two of them, but it is impossible, they won’t believe her.

“We can’t see each other anymore” Scott mumbles without looking at her in the eyes.

Her heart skips a beat.

“Scott? What do you mean?” Oh no, not this, she had to text him yesterday, maybe he thinks she lost interest in him, no no no no no no, Scott is all she has now, is her refuge from all the crap she has been coming through lately, he makes her feel safe and sane, those amber puppy eyes are the only thing between her and a mental institution, he’s the only contact she has now with reality and a normal life, if she lose him… 

“I’m sorry” He says rueful, as if he really mean it, “But things have changed”

“What? What do you mean?” She asks trying to calm down, she won’t cry, they hadn’t been dating for that long, but still it is so painful just two days ago she felt this amazing connection between they, she felt endless as if they were one single thing, and now it is over.

“I’m not a good person Allison, I’m not good enough for you, and I won’t be, at least not now” He says squeezing his eyes shut.

Not being good enough for her? Is he kidding her? Scott is the sweetest and nicest person in the entire world, how couldn’t he be good enough for her? Where he could get such idea?

Shit.

It was him, her dad, all that crap about the boyfriend and the sex talk, he is the only one who could tell Scott about not being good enough for her, and considering the fact that the whole town is wired with cameras there must be at least one tape of them hanging out, maybe he saw the mall’s, this is all his fault, how can he be so selfish? He’s a jerk, he has been all her life dragging her around the country because of his RPG monster’s hunt, never leaved her have a normal life, lied to her, her whole life! And now that she feels safe and comfortable he takes that from her too.

“Scott”

“I’m really sorry” He snivels standing up and climbing down the steps.  

…….

Melissa walks down the hallway when her eyes meet with Mrs. Mackenzie who apparently has been arguing with the sheriff about the search parties in the town, in the farthest office she finds Tony, he’s a good guy who has been really helpful for them since he got here, that’s why she is here now, she needs his help, and intelligence to track down Margarie, she has been trying to contact the woman since she left the Evans’ home yesterday and unfortunately she hadn’t been able to reach her. All of her phones are out of services and in her file there is no clue of where she might have moved after he nephew died.

“Tony! How are you kiddo?” She says politely.

“Oh hi Mrs. M” The boy replies with a smirk.

Tony a short legged guy he is in his late twenties, actually she’s not sure if he’s twenty five or twenty eight, she always forgets to ask, he has short black hair, and brown eyes, he’s addicted to chocolate and that’s why Mellissa brought him today a hot chocolate mug from the store next the station.

“Look what I have brought you” She offers the mug with a smile.

Tony detaches his eyes from his computer and smiles at the sight of the steaming mug.

“Thank you Mrs. M you didn’t have to” He replies blushing.

“It’s nothing” She replies smirking, “So what are you up to?” Ask casually.

“Um not much, just checking up some old files, doing a wipe to the system, my computer is a little overloaded” He explains rolling his eyes.

“So….” She starts biting her bottom lip “Wouldn’t you mind if I ask you a favor?”

“Anything you want Mrs. M” He smiles again and looks back at his screen “just tell me what you need”

“I need to reach this woman” She explains showing him Margarie’s file “There are phones and emails, and everything else, but she moved out and I can’t find her”

“So what did this woman?” He asks arching a brow, and coming back to his computer, his fingers flying quickly through the keys typing Margarie’s information in the search engine “It will take a couple of minutes, our internet service sucks”

“She did nothing, I’m just trying to figure out something, that’s all” She replies.

“Oh look here is it” He says when Margarie’s picture pops in the screen in the top right corner accompanied by a couple of data that Mellissa can’t read from her angle.

“She moved indeed to the other side of the country, a couple of moths actually” Tony explains squinting to the screen, “But she didn’t stay longer”

“What do you mean? Is she back?” Mellissa Frowns.

“No, she was murdered” He says with pity in his voice.

No… this….can’t, Mellissa leans closer to the screen and starts reading the text, apparently a thief got into Margarie’s apartment there was a fight and she ended up dead, Oh god! This can’t be happening, she’s about to take her eyes off of the screen when something calls her attention, she moved far, really far, to a small town in New Jersey, and she was…murdered… three months ago, more specifically two days after Patrick’s dead, no… this can’t be a coincidence, what if she knew something and tried to escape and… oh come on! Is not like the bear or whatever killed her nephew chased down the woman and killed her.

“What about her brother? Can you find him?” She asks, her bottom lip wobbling, this don’t make any sense at all.

“Ok no problem” Tony replies looking around Margarie’s profile and seconds later a man’s face pops in the screen.

“George Evans” He says starting to read the information that just showed up “He died two years ago, in a car accident, actually all his family died, the only survivor was their sixteen years old son Patrick”

Oh shit!

…….

In matter of days the winter hit hard the town, all the streets houses and cars are covered with snow, Scott can’t stop thinking about Christmas and the plans he had hangout with Allison for the holydays, go together to Sadie Hawkins, snow balls fights with Stiles and her, go to the movies, even talk to her about meeting her dad. He always spent Christmas with his mom and Stiles’ family, messing around with Stiles near the abandoned mill in the farthest side of the woods to drink booze and talk about how shitty school was, they also visited Portland to watch the fireworks and get presents for everybody, the lights in the tree, the food, the joy….the happiness… Stiles….Allison everything was gone.

It’s been two weeks since he broke up with Allison and accepted Derek’s offering, it supposes he must feel like a hero, doing all this to save the town and the people he love, Derek has been toughing him how to control his instincts and the advantages of his new abilities, though the winter and the snow had decrease their sense of smell considerably, Derek is a good guy, despite all the fact that Scott lost everything because of him he can’t stop feeling some respect for the guy, he is doing all that to protect Beacon Hills, but every time Scott thinks about an upcoming war, his stomach squirms, he’s afraid to die, and at the same time he doesn’t, a part of him feels like it would be the best if some random werewolf rips down his throat, he deserves it after all what he done. In other hand the other werewolves threat him well, thought Erica keeps having argues with Derek about the need of new werewolf in the pack, Scott agrees with her, he doesn’t know how many the other werewolves are and a war doesn’t sound like a few of them.

Isaac is pretty funny, sometimes he plays jests to Derek and always ends up flying through a window, sometimes he reminds Scott a bit of Stiles, and something stings him in the chest, he misses Stiles he misses him so much, he can’t stop thinking that there should be another way, something that would help him break free from his curse and be normal teenager, he has been looking for it in his spare time –which isn’t too big considering his grades- and he hadn’t find anything, internet sucks when it is a matter of real supernatural things, he’s pretty sure Stiles would have found the answer, anyway Derek told him there is a way to make him human again, and he promised he will tell him once they win the battle, Scott is not sure why but Derek seems pretty confident about their victory, he wishes he could be so hopeful as the guy who cursed him, so he can come back to his previous life with Stiles and Allison by his side, having full sleep nights and don’t getting in trouble with his mom for breaking his curfew and lie to her telling he has been practicing Lacrosse with the guys.

He doesn’t sleep anymore, or at least is how he feels it, his nights are endless, sometimes he has full sleep nights where there is nothing in his mind, everything is black, but the most of time he has nightmares, were he runs down the streets in all fours chasing Allison and his mom and then murdering them, or the bees’ captain or the first guy who died thought he still can’t recall those days, when he tries all that comes to his memory is anger and fear and blood’s scent, it is scaring, them he thinks about Stiles’ taking pills for sleeping, to pretend smiles and he feels like shit, his friend was so lonely, and sad and scared for so long, frightened of going to sleep and see a monster, see him, and after all that he staid by his side and helped him, Scott can’t take it anymore, he’s so angry with himself for killing those guys, for lying his mom, for being forced to be part of a war to which he isn’t related, for hurting Stiles and Allison, he needs to be done with this guilt that presses down his chest, he wants it to be over, he wants to go to sink in the nothingness where nothing can reach him not even his guilt or the pain.

…….

It’s being two weeks since Stiles last saw Scott or came into the cabin, he knows he was bored of doing the same every day, wake Scott up and try to force to turn back into a human, but now he even misses the idea of being running down the woods while his friend chases him in the shape of a monster, everything has lost its sense, he spends the days at home, cleaning up and learning new healthy recipes, or reading a new book, he had read a lot of great books lately but not even them can fill the hole he fills inside. At school everything is the same, Harris tries to tease him, he doesn’t pay attention, gets high grades, some days he goes over Lydia’s –yeah she forgave him after he made out a lie about being sick- to work in a school projects, her mom is really nice and bakes awesome chocolate chip’s cookies by the way, later Tackler shows up and takes Lydia in a date, she has invited him over a couple of times but he always says no, he doesn’t want to be the third wheel and he can’t stand Tackler anyway, it’s a cocky and selfish bastard, it is enough to have to sit with him at lunch he doesn’t want to see him more often.

None of the girls at school have asked him for Sadie Hawkins which isn’t just sad but also humiliating, he’s not sure if it’s because of his scent’s awing stench or because of Lydia’s imprudence, but the fact is that none of the girls at school want anything to do with him, his last hope is Allison, Lydia told him that Scott broke up with her, and he’s not impressed, he knows his friend is just trying to keep them safe from himself, and he couldn’t agree more with him.

Speaking of Allison, she tries to pretend she isn’t affected by their broke up or the fact that Scott doesn’t sit with them anymore, actually she participates in the conversations and laughs at Lydia’s mean comments about the other girl’s dressing style, but he knows it, he feels it deep inside that she’s having a hard time, that her smile are fake and that loneliness is dragging her deep into darkness, he’s not sure how he can know all this, maybe it has something to do with what Isaac said about they both having the exact same scent, Stiles has been looking for it on internet, even in the deep web but he hadn’t find anything, his new friends in the deep web doesn’t have any idea of how two persons can have an exact same scent or how it’s smell can be a bad omen.

Sometimes he wanders around the wood line, near his old home, but not to close, he’s afraid of crossing his path with Dr. Deaton, he still can’t understand how his mom’s best friend could have tried to kill him, does he knows something? After all the shit that happened he wouldn’t be impressed. When he’s near the woods sometimes he feels tempted to walk in and watch Scott’s training, what they teach him? How to tear a limb? How to howl hard? It would be funny if Stiles mood wasn’t in scaring low levels, almost as low as he was months after his mom passed, he feels lonely, and lost, and empty the only think that makes him smile in the mornings is the fact that his dad is still alive.

…….

Life has been shit lately, since Scott dumped her Allison hadn’t be able to find a true reason to smile, especially because she’s sure her dad is the reason Scott broke up with her in the first place, she has been thinking about it over and over in her mind while she’s at lunch in the school, she’s happy Lydia is her friend, because is the kind of friend who won’t stop talking and allows you to drift off without noticing all you need to do is nod and say a random comment sometime, though Allison is a little hurt about Lydia saying Scott is a jerk just like Jackson.

Her dad has been pretty busy lately, she discovered that there is another place he visits for hours before heading to the apartment, one day she skipped gym’s class and drove there just to find out that there is a construction after all, which means her dad is indeed an architect by day and a creatures’ hunter by night, she’s not sure what he does in the display room anymore, the attacks has ceased completely and the people is starting to jog in the woods and everything else, she knows he has been waiting for friends to come help him hunt down the wildling, she had heard him again having an arguing in his room about the full moon getting nearer, and yup is full moon in two days and her dad’s hunt club hasn’t showed up yet, or at least that’s what she thinks, anyway she has been mourning enough the last two weeks, she hasn’t even read anymore of the Binding book –yeah that’s the name, turns out her phone has this app that looks on the web whatever think you take a picture of- she just got the name, the website is blocked so she doesn’t know anything else about who wrote the book or when, but she’s decided, probably all this will be done in two days and then they will move out again, and maybe it would be the best, but first she wants to see the werewolf with her own eyes, wants to see the life’s fading from the eyes of the creature that haunted her dreams for so long.

…….

So Tony isn’t as good as she thought, the make the story short, the idiot came up to the sheriff to ask him if they needed any more help in the case Mellissa was working on, the man called Mellissa at her office and started to yell at her for losing her time in a closed case when she should be working on the meth’s lab working in the town. But that’s not all, she thought she could ask the boy a little bit more help checking up Patrick’s cellphone’s texts record or his email’s she sure now that someone a person definitely murdered that family but why? The sheriff is so intransigent, his arrogance is sinking the station, she misses Sheriff Morgan, she don’t get how could made him go and bring this jackass, anyway surprise Tony refused to help her, he said he couldn’t dig inside a closed case any longer or he might get in trouble, so it’s better to forget spying Patrick’s texts, now where she can find someone willing to hack an email? She needs to find something, anything that might give her a clue that Patrick could have been harassed or threated by someone, but who could help her out?

…….

 The house is fully clean, the dishes the stove, he mopped around all the floor, and his dad is peacefully resting in his bed, Stiles is not sleepy, but is better to try to get some sleep, tomorrow is Sadie Hawkins’ dance and the start of the holiday season which means a lot of free time to watch the shows he had miss and read a some new book, it will be a really hard season, it will be their first Christmas without his mom, and now without Scott so maybe it’s better to spend it sleeping.

He climbs up the stairs and finds his dad at the top of the steps fully dressed and wearing a thick coat, there is suitcase in his hand.

“Dad!” He blurts out shocked, he thought he was asleep. “Are you going somewhere?”

His dad takes a minute before answering.

“I…um… don’t be scare, there is nothing to be worry about but I just got a call, my dad felt from his chair, he broke some bones, but he’s fine… he’s truly fine, I’m going over to visit them a couple of days, I have already called Mellissa, you’re staying with them until I’m back”

“Dad! No! I want to go, I want to see grandpa” Stiles begs, starting to feel the lack of air in his lungs.

“I’m sorry son, but you have school tomorrow, anyway isn’t the big dance tomorrow night?” His dad smirks. “Everything is going to be fine”

“I don’t care about school, I have high grades I’m going with you” He hurries to push him aside to pack his clothes, but his dad takes him by his arm.

“No…you can’t… is”

_Just say it for Christ sake, say you’re afraid I might have another episode._

“I have to go, be good at Mellissa’s, if you need money call me, I’ll be back as soon as I can” His father says with a sad smile pressing his lips against Stiles forehead, and then climbing down the stairs.

When his dad is gone, a lot of feelings takes over Stiles, fear for his grandfather’s life, pity for his grandma who must be really scared, frustration for not being able to tell his dad that everything he said was right and anger for him not trusting him to stay alone at home until he gets back, anyway how is he going to share a room with Scott when they don’t even talk to each other? Maybe he can stay, maybe he can talk to Mrs. M about he’s feeling good and happy and that there is no need for her to babysitting him because he’s not eight anymore!

He gets in his room a closes the door, there is no way he’s going over Scott’s he doesn’t care that Scott is trying to keep him safe, he’s mad at him, for being so selfish and a jerk, and for thinking there is anything Stiles could do to help him, fuck!

“Hey” A harsh voice says and a pair of ice-cold blue eyes shine in the darkness.

Damn! Stiles jumps on his feet, his heart skipping a beat.

“Derek!” He gasp, “What are you doing here?” He asks feeling his blood boiling in his veins just to the sight of the werewolf? “What happened? Need your TV to stop shifting into a toaster?”

He werewolf stares at him with annoyance “Funny” replies sharply.

“Seriously you can’t climb up by my window, you’re going to scare my neighbors” He reproaches.

“There is no time, Scott is missing” Derek grunts.

A way of panic takes over Stiles.

“He’s not missing I saw tomorrow morning at school” Stiles affirms calming down.

“He didn’t came over tonight and won’t answer his phone” Derek explains, his teeth clenched.

“Why should I help you? Scott and I aren’t friends anymore, and it’s because of your fault by the way” Stiles spits glaring at the werewolf, he’s tempted to punch his bitter face, oh how he wants to do it, but it wouldn’t help he will probably end up dead and with a broken hand.

“I thought you cared about him, after all what you did for him” Derek reproaches with disappointment in his voice.

Disappointment? Really?

“Of course I care about him, but I think he would ran way, he’s probably in the movies trying to forget for a minute how fucked his life is”

“This isn’t a game, the police is searching for a missing girl, and Scott is missing too Erica and the rest are already hunting him, they are sure he killed the girl, if they find him before us or worse if they don’t then he will be running free tomorrow in the full moon, his second full moon, it doesn’t matter how good he did lately, if we don’t catch him and chain him up we’re all going to be screwed” Derek says with a glare.

Fuck!

“What about your super magical nose? Is broken or something?”

“The winter is blocking my sense of smell, I can’t catch a scent farther than 1 mile” The brood guy says sternly. “You’re his friend, you know how he thinks, if someone can find him, it is you”

…….

She climbs up the stairs and starts unbuttoning her uniform, she’s so tired, it was a loss of time trying to convince Tony to help her, she passes by Scott’s room the lights are out yet she’s able to see the bulk on the bed, thank god he’s home he has been getting back too late the last weeks, it doesn’t matter how hard she yells or how much she grounds him, he keeps doing it, at least one thing is working on.

She gets in her room and sighs, she’s not sure how the emails password’s hacking works, she hadn’t a case related to it before, but obviously she can’t start an order when the sheriff explicitly made clear he wanted them working on the meth’s lab and no in teenager’s closed cases, so if she’s going to do this, she needs help from someone who knows how to hack the system, someone who smart that doesn’t care about getting in trouble…someone… someone like Stiles.

She passes by Scott’s room and glances through the door’s ajar, there is no quilt on Scott’s room, so Stiles hadn’t come up yet, which means that he’s probably still picking up his stuffs or waiting until tomorrow to come over, and Simon just left to visit his father, this is her chance, she miss it.

Melissa dashes down the stairs, when she’s at the door a hum of a car engine’s makes her instinctively look at her right where Simon’s old jeep drives off, but… Simon’s car isn’t there either which means… Where the hell his boy think is going this late? Oh he’s going to be in so much trouble, right after helping her spy Patrick Evans’ email of course. She gets up in her car and start to follow the now distant lights of Stiles’ car.    

Where he thinks he’s going? This route takes… oh is he going to their old home? What does this kid have in mind? She feels sorry for him, she’s tempted to let him get there but she can’t Simon would be really mad at her if something happens to him, Scott would be really mad at her something if something happens to him, she will be really mat at herself if something happens to her little boy, so she keeps driving and, oh he’s not going to his house, but where them? What is wrong with him? He’s driving toward the forest, is he insane? She doesn’t care what the sheriff or the rest of the department says, there is still a wild animal in there and it’s going to kill him if she doesn’t stop him, Mellissa takes out her phone and starts dialing Stiles’ number, but he’s forwarding the call, Stiles! Oh she’s going to kill him, he’s going to be grounded until he’s… Oh how dumped she has been, sometimes she really looks at Stiles’ as…

He stops his car in the entrance of the forest’s dirt road that is now covered with a thick layer of snow, but why? She gets down of her car and runs toward him, Stiles climbs down the jeep and closes the door, there is a shadow she’s not sure, is someone else with him? She’s not sure.

“Stiles” She calls having a hard time to run in the snow.

“Stiles” She repeats but the boy is not listening and then steps inside the forest.

Mellissa struggles with the snow a little harder until she reaches the jeep, she gets into the woods and looks around, and there… is no sight of Stiles… or the town behind her. 

…….

He has been so stupid! He can’t believe he let everything slip through his fingers, there is missing girl somewhere, he hadn’t be able to get a clue, there is nothing in the screens as if she just vanished or they found out about the cameras and took her in one of the blind spots in his system, he had lost all this months following Victoria’s ideals, two boys had died thought there are still some question puzzling his mind about the one. He can’t let that poor girl die, what if she was Allison? He wouldn’t be able to stand it if the girl was Allison he would lose his mind and kill all of them, and maybe…. That’s the only way, damn Jeremy, Damn Dave and Marc, he’s gonna have to do this alone, if someone else dies tomorrow night it will call the attention and they will come and he won’t be able to stop the, it will be a bloodbath.

He turns off the radio he got to spy the police and fastens it to his belt, he’s not sure of how much Allison knows, but he can’t allow her to discover what he’s about to do, it is too risky and h must admit to himself he’s scared, if he could only read the wind, but he has no time for possibilities he needs facts and the only way to get them is trying, he only hopes he success today or else…. He needs a backup plan if Allison wakes up in the morning to find out he’s dead, if he dies she will need to run away and never come back, but what? He’s running out of time, he can’t afford to lose more minutes in a few hours will be full-moon’s morning and they’re strength will be bigger, and even now he has his doubts about being able to do anything.

He slightly pushes his bed aside being careful to not make any noise and wake up Allison, below the fake wood slate his takes out the narrow suitcase, and takes an assault rifle and two hand guns, hauls a crossbow over shoulders and hides a couple blessed steel knives, may not be pure silver but the monkshood’s cocktail will do the rest.

He walks out his room and approaches Allison’s, from the door he can see her silhouette on the bed against the moon’s brightness reflected by the snow on the windowsill, if he could only reach her, and say how much he loves, and kiss her forehead, unfortunately he can’t she will feel him coming and would wake up, then he wouldn’t be able to leave and all his efforts would be in vain.

He climbs down the stairs in the middle of the darkness, closes the door behind him, something is not right he can feel it, but he can’t tell what, now he feels stupid to not pay more attention in Beats and Breathing’s when he was a teenager, he could tell with just a sniff of the night air if this was the right night to do it or if they will someday be safe. He reaches his car pulls opens the door, and heats the engine, tomorrow everything will be over, he will make sure of it.

…….

  They have been wandering around the snow for a while, and there is no sight of Scott and luckily neither of the others.

“I need to try” Stiles says stubbornly.

“You could die, you have been lucky of not draining yourself the past times” Derek replies with annoyance, his head leaned forward as a dog that tries to catch a scent. “Just think about him, let your legs guide you, it is almost the same but it won’t kill if you accidentally push too hard”

He’s trying he’s fucking trying, he has been trying for an hour and he hadn’t be able to get anything, they have been running on circles for hours.

“What about you? Why you don’t try it? Stiles asks.

“I don’t work on us, werewolves have all kind of orientation senses that it is impossible for us to get lost or twitch the binding, because we always know exactly where we are”

“I don’t get it, what is the purpose on being able to do it if I’m not technically allowed to do it?” Stiles says frustrated.

“You need training, need to gain control, I told you shouldn’t be able to do it, but you’re stronger than I thought” Derek explains without looking at him.

“So you can teach me?” Stiles asks thrilled, the idea of learning some magic tricks is tempting.

 “I don’t know anything about bindings, actually Binders and werewolves aren’t along with each other” Derek mumbles leaving Stiles more puzzled than before.

“Can you explain me what the hell is a Binder?” The boy asks sick of Derek assuming he always knows what he’s talking about.

“There is no time, I need you do to something” Derek says stopping short.

“What?” the boy asks shivering, it is so cold and his legs are soaked with melted snow, oh god he wishes he could be back in his warm bed, why Scott had to scape this late night? Why not doing it in the morning of a summer day?

Something falls on his head, Stiles reaches his hands up over the extremely warm cloth, and looks at his back where Derek is taking out his white top tank, baring his torso, the moonlight hits his pale chest and abs almost making them glow but there is something else, there are short wisps of steam coming out of his naked body.

“Why are you staring?” Derek asks glaring at him.

“You…”Stiles starts gaping at the spidery foggy forms in the werewolves’ body.

The top tank flies to his head.

“I’m hot if that what you mean” The werewolf replies rolling his eyes and kneeling down to unloose his boots.

“I know but I didn’t thought it was literal I mean is like you’re on fire” Stiles says shocked.

“You should put on the jacket, it will keep you warm for a while” Derek advises working on the second boot.

Stiles shoves an arm through Derek’s leather jacket and a surprisingly pleasant hotness skims his skin spreading in seconds through he’s body, he’s not freezing anymore, he wants to be a damn werewolf!

Derek shoves Stiles his boots, he catches them, and starts to have a hard time to hold everything, he wishes he had his backpack with him right now, but there is nothing he can do.

Derek’s hand unbuttons his jeans and pulls then down, Stiles turns on his back embarrassed.

“You could have warned me!” Reproaches embarrassed.

“Humans” Derek snorts.

Fucking racist were-dump and his lack of decency. “Why are you undressing anyway?” He asks still back at Derek.

“I’ll shift, my nose will be a little better,  I won’t be able to talk so you need to stay close to me, if the others show  run and find Scott ok?”

Stiles hears a soft moan at his back and something that sounded like a crunching bone, and when he looks back a giant Wolf as white as the snow that surrounds them stares at him with ice-blue beaming eyes.

…….

Where in the hell is Stiles? Is he insane? How he can come back to the forest after what happened to him? Oh he’s in so much trouble. Mellissa tries to dialing again but he won’t answer, she has been looking for him for an hour already without success and speaking of the woods, there is something really odd going on with them, she’s not used to get lost, she grew up in that forest, hanged out with Thalia a lot in here, how can she get lost? She’s almost sure the town vanished right behind her as soon as she stepped inside, but that doesn’t make any sense.

Oh there he is and…. Oh Jesus Christ.

“STILES!” She cries and darts toward him, her heart gives a lurch, she looks for her gun in her belt, thank god she didn’t finish undressing when she decided to look for him, this can’t be real there is a HUGE white furred dog…. No it is a wolf? How can be a wolf in there? And how can it be so large? It is, terrifying big and bold, it is practically the same size as the boy and it is on its all fours, its pale color reflects the moonlight its ghostly gleam makes her shiver.

“Calm down” She mumbles to the boy’s shocked face as she slowly pulls up her gun and aims the wolf’s head.

“Mrs. M” Stiles says with a shaky voice.

“Everything is going to be alright” She assures though she’s not sure how, that is the creature, that is the thing that murdered those boys, but that doesn’t make any sense, what happens with Patrick and his family? There is something really weird going on here.

It is too close to Stiles, its blue eyes stare straight at her, there is something scary and intimidating about them, as if the creature could reason, it is disturbing… What the hell is going on? _You need to calm down Melissa, calm down, you have only one shot, you need to be quick or Stiles may die._

It slightly moves an enormous paw forward and she shots, she couldn’t helped, she freaked out, the high pitched crack followed by a short whine buzzes in her ear, she scoots back and squeezes the handgrip, she missed.

“Wait…Mrs. M, don’t hurt him” Stiles says standing before the wolf and her, what is wrong with this kid “Don’t hurt him, he’s my friend”

“Your friend?” Mellissa repeats without understand already aiming between the eyes.

“My pet actually, his name is Sparky” The boy explains, there is a drip of sweat running down his temple, who’s that jacket? And those clothes he’s carrying?

“Stiles… that’s the animal that have been killing people in the town” She tries to explain him “Slowly walk toward me and don’t look back, ok?” She says doing her best to not sound as terrified as she is.

“No… I’m telling you, he wouldn’t hurt anybody”

“Stiles”

“Don’t kill him Mrs. M, is my friend, I thought him tricks I promise” The boy begs, “Look”

Stiles turns his back to her, _God help me!_

“Sparky roll” this has to be joke.

The wolf stares at Stiles with a killer gaze, this is her chance, she prepares herself to shot and when she’s about to shoot the wolf rolls on its back.

“Sparky sit!” Stiles commands and the wolf do the trick, what the hell? “Sparky stand” The wolf obeys again, she’s pretty impressed.

“Those are pretty good tricks Stiles but…”

“Sparky lick your balls” The boy says and for some reason there is a sneer in his face, this has gone too far.

The wolf remains still and its fangs are starting to show up.

“Stiles come here now!” She orders.

“Sparky do the thing!” Stiles urges with an annoying voice, the wolf lets out a snarl and curls itself into a ball in the ground starting to skim its genitals with its tongue.

Stiles cracks in a laughs “You you’re doing it, you’re actually doing it oh my god!” Chortles a little more insanely.  

Ok maybe is not late to find a mental institution for him.

“Stiles is amazing that you trained it as your pet, but it is a wild creature… it is dangerous”

“No he’s not, you can pet him, really” Stiles says reaching the wolf, Mellissa’s heart skips a beat, the boy puts a hand on its head and slowly strokes its fur. “See? Come on” He beckons her to come closer.

“You can even pull of its hair” He does it and the beast whines, “Or even step on its paws, its safe” A higher wail and a recoil from the wolf “he really is a good boy, please don’t put him down, it’s my friend”

“Enough Stiles, I got it” She says sharply, she’s sick of it.

“Come here, were going home now!” She yells and beckons him.

“Can I stay a little lon…?”

“Stiles now!” She says furious.

The boy seems about to say something, but the wolf approaches him and pushes him with his muzzle ahead, as if it were trying to make him leave, Oh dear lord.

Stiles steps next to her, and her heartbeat starts to steady, thought she doubts it will be fully stable until they are back home.

She takes Stiles from his leather jacket; he’s still carrying those clothes in his hands.

“I need your favor with something” She explains though she’s not sure anymore if Patrick’s mail will take her somewhere, she feels like driving toward a dead end.

Stiles nods.

“Good because if you’d say no I would have called your dad to tell him about your new pet” She says craning her neck back to make sure the wolf isn’t following them, she should tell the sheriff about it, maybe in the morning, right now, god she’s so tired, she closes her eyes, and yearns for her bed.

Her head falls over the cold snow and she quickly stands, how did she fall? She opens her eyes, the whole landscape changed, she’s lying on a clearing, and… there is no trace of Stiles or the wolf, how is this possible?

…….

Stiles knees sink in the snow, and he looks around, he’s near the lake, Oh God! He feels like he just ran one hundred miles! He groans helps himself to stand by hugging to a naked tree trunk. He must have been thinking about going far from Scott’s mom, he’s not sure of what he was thinking in that very moment; damn and now he is lost.

He takes some air, Derek’s clothes are scattered in the snow, oh he’s going to kick his ass, he picks them up and is about to start his way when he realizes he has no idea of where to go, maybe south, what was that thing Derek said earlier in his room? _You’re his friend, you know how he thinks, if someone can find him, it is you_ , well guess what? he has no idea.

Stiles starts walking when far ahead a mound of snow moves, did he see right? Maybe his little travel made him hit his head, no... It is definitively moving, well actually dashing, toward him, Stiles starts running on the opposite side, he looks back and the wolf lurches over him, Stiles blocks his head with his arms at the time the creature turns human in the air a really pissed off and naked human guy.

Derek takes Stiles by the collar of his shirt and stamps him against the tree back him, leaning toward him, his eyes flaring like blue flames.

“Sparky?” Derek says clenching his teeth.

“I… freaked out ok? She was going to shoot you and I had to do something”

“And the only thing that came to your mouth was made a fool of me?”

“Oh come on! It was funny”

“It was fucking hilarious” Derek growls the grip of his hand on Stiles neck starting to burn his skin.

“I’m sorry ok? I just tried to save your life” He says hurt.

“You know I wouldn’t have died” Derek says angrily.

“Forget it ok? We need to find Scott” Stiles reminds him with the hope Derek let go and don’t Scorch Stiles’ throat “Geez you need to work in your anger issues”

“And you in your jokes” The wolf replies sharply.

Stiles’ phone rings, he takes it out hoping it is Scott but it isn’t him, it is his mom and crap he has five missed calls from her.

“Hey Mrs. M” He says casually.

“Stiles where the hell are you?” She asks angrily.

“I’m on my way back home” He lies.

“What happened? How we split?” She asks with a shaky voice, oh great now he feels sorry for having to make her believe she’s becoming insane.

“We fell, remember? As long as we started walking we rolled down steep ground, we didn’t see it because of the snow”

There is a pause before she replies again.

“Oh I’m sorry I must have knocked my head really hard”

“I looked for you but couldn’t find you so I thought about getting back in town and look for help”

“No I’m fine, I’m near the line, so you say you’re out of the woods?” She asks hesitantly.

“Yes ma’am” He replies coolly.

“Ok I’ll meet you back home” She says cutting the call.

Stiles glances up and his eyes meets Derek’s puzzled ones, “You’re a really good liar” Derek says impressed.

“It’s a natural gift” Stiles says with self-sufficient grin, “though is better to make sure she gets back home, you keep looking for Scott and I’ll…”

The world spins, and his head falls on his side.

“What’s going on?” Derek asks shaking him, “I told you to not travel”

Stiles’ knees turn into jelly and his body slumps down but his head never meets the snow, apparently Derek is holding by the jacket, his skin is sticky with sweat, and his head won’t stop spinning, he feels sick, he feels like when he’s drunk, though it’s been a long time since the last time he did, he doesn’t a have a drop of alcohol since two years ago before his mom got sick, when Scott and him…

“Are you ok?” Derek asks in a thin voice, maybe Stiles’ ears are failing two.

“I know where he is” Stiles slurs

“Where?” Derek asks with relief in his voice.

“He’s on the mill, by the creek outside the town” Stiles explains panting.

“Ok, stay here, I’ll make sure his mom gets out of the wood, I’ll be back in a couple in ten minutes, if you see the others…”

“I… know…. I run” Stiles says between gasps while Derek gently takes him down leaning his back against a tree. “So you care about me now” Snorts with his last breath.

“No, after what you did to me back there in front of that woman I decided I’m going to rip down your throat when this all over, maybe it will encourage Scott to kill me in case he still has doubts” Derek says sternly, then shifting into his wolf form and dashing out of his sight.

Stiles chuckles and closes his eyes, he needs to calm down and regain some strength, and he’s going to need it.

After ten minutes, he’s feeling a little better, but unfortunately Derek is not back, and now that his mind is starting react a memory makes him jolt to his feet, Scott killed a girl, Erica, Vernon and Isaac are looking for him to kill him for real, he needs to find Scott, he needs to find him now! Stiles stands and starts trudging to the mill, it will take him hours to get there on foot if he only could….

“You did it again didn’t you” Derek voice’s says next to him.

Stiles opens his eyes, he’s so dazed.

“How long I’ve been here?” Stiles asks craning his neck.

“I don’t know, I just caught your scent, even though you stink as trash it have been hard for me to find you in this weather” Derek says angrily.

“Am I going to die?” Stiles asks with not enough strength to even feel scared.

“No, but you need to rest or you’ll definitely die” Derek explains angrily, “You had to wait for me as I told you”

“I couldn’t… they are going to… kill him” Stiles pants.

His body flies up and his eyes shut down again… His head is bouncing, literally, he flutters his eyes open the landscape shifts at high speed the brisk air ruffles his hair, he digs his head in the puffy and warm quilt in which he’s lying, then his head jerks up. Derek is carrying him on his back toward the mill, is taking him with Scott, his head jerks up oh god! He’s on Derek’s back on Derek’s frigging naked back, this is so wrong, Stiles tries to sit and falls, his body rolling down steep ground, oh great Karma.

When he stops he opens his eyes and shakes the snow off from him, he’s in front of a concrete wall with a musky smell and a hole at the top, they did it, they got in. Stiles stands quickly and starts climbing up the wall, thank god it is short or else he might fall, he’s still a little dizzy, when he reaches the top, peeks trough the wall, everything is dark inside, but he’s able to get a glance of the back of a Lacrosse’s shirt.

He slowly gets in, and gets down. Derek throws himself in after him.

“Scott?” Stiles asks, his friend is relying on a after his body shaking out of control, a snivel break’s Stiles’ heart.

He looks around, it pitch dark, he can’t see anything but Scott’s white shirt, he reaches closer and puts a hand on the his friend shoulder, Scott mourns harder.

“I’m pathetic” Scott says with a high pitched voice.

Stiles sits next to him and his ass gets sticky with something, oh gross, he looks down it is impossible to see what it is but there is a peculiar smell, a coppery…

“You tried to kill yourself!” He yells! Throwing himself over Scott, the world spinning around, damn he needs to rest. “What the hell were you thinking? You can’t kill yourself!” Stiles says punching in the stomach, god! He’s so angry! How can he be so selfish?

“I know! As soon as I make the cut the wound is already healing”

“That’s not what I meant” Stiles grunts.

“Where the hell you get all this energy?” Derek asks in astonishment, his shining eyes fixed on Stiles. “He almost dies today, looking for you by the way” Says the pack leader taking Stiles from top Scott as if he was just a dummy doll.

“Why?” Scott demands furious, “Why? After all I said and did to you why you still care about me? I feel it deep inside me, I’m a monster, I want to dismember people I can feel it, so tell why?”

“Yeah I would like to hear that too” Derek says with annoyance, Stiles doesn’t need to see him to know he’s probably rolling his eyes right now.

“Because you’re my friend, and no matter what! I’ll always be by your side” Stiles blurts out feeling his cheeks burning. “You’re not bad Scott, I don’t care what you think you’re the nicest guy I now and I would let that all this crap sink you! I’ll stay by you even if you try to push me aside, ignore me or kill me”

“Thanks” Scott says glancing down at the floor.

“Good you’re friends again, now let’s find a way to hide his butt before the others come” Derek says sternly.  

“What? Why?” Scott asks lost.

“You killed a girl, Erica freaked out they’re looking for you blah, blah, blah they’re going to kill you and tomorrow is full moon” Stiles hurries to say.

“When, where?” Scott says shocked. “I’ve been here the whole day I swear, I swear it wasn’t me!”

“Actually there is no body yet, they just think that maybe you did it, but she could have been kidnaped by robbers, or she ditched home”

“It’s true, maybe it is all a misunderstanding” Derek agrees thoughtfully.

“Well call your doggies and tell them to stop their hunt” Stiles says furious.

“They won’t listen, not on a full moon day, they will lose their control, and we need to keep Scott safe too until the moon is gone” Derek explains.

“Wait… they don’t know he’s here right? This place is far and their noses aren’t working properly…”Stiles starts, “Scott can hide here until the morning after the full moon”

“And how would you make him stay instead of getting out to rip people’s throat?” Derek says condescendingly.

 _Silver_.

“We need silver” He says scratching his ear, he knows he has silver somewhere but where?

“Silver?” Scott asks puzzled.

“Yeah, a silver chain, it doesn’t matter how strong you are you won’t be able to break it” Stiles explains thinking about silver, when was the last time he saw a silver chain?

Oh right he was in his mom’s house looking the fairy tale book, and then he… oh he has been so dump, he’s wearing it right now, it’s his mom’s silver chain but they really need it, they do.

“Turn on your back” He orders and Scott does so.

He takes off his chain reluctantly and ties his friend’s hands against the raft with it.

“I’m sorry I’ll try to get a larger one for tomorrow morning” Stiles promises.

“I’ll be back soon, will make sure they don’t kick his ass in the way back home, and will get some clothes” Derek says hoarsely, what’s going on with him?

“You don’t have to come, it would be more helpful if you find that girl and clean my name”

“You’re right” Derek says nodding.

“What are you doing naked anyway?” Scott says puzzled with a brief chuckle.

“Long story”

“You are a hero ok? You’re not a monster, you’re going to do great things, you’re going to protect your mom, and Allison and all the town, I know you can do it! I know it, just think as a hero, think as a hero and everything will be fine” Those are the last words Stiles says before getting out of the abandoned mill.

 

Derek climbs down from the car when the get to Stiles’ home, he came with him to make sure the other werewolves didn’t follow him and do something to him right after they found his soaked pants in the snow, he promised he would be back as fast as he’s can. Shit everything is screwed up, what if Scott did actually kill that girl and can’t remember it? They are going to kill him, they need a plan, they need a way to get him out of there, he shoves his keys on his pockets, what a night, at least he finally can get some rest, he opens the door and…

“Where have you been?” Scott’s mom says angrily at the door.

“I was just….”

“What is that thing you were petting in the woods Stiles?” She sighs, there is some relief in her voice. “I was so concerned, how could you did this to me? Do you have any idea of how angry your dad… Never mind, I got work for you”

“Work?” Stiles says puzzled.

“Yeah I know it was you who hacked those guys’ facebook’s profiles three years ago, you know? The ones who have been bulling you… remember?

Oh crap.

“I need you to do the same for me and won’t tell your dad about the hard time you gave me today, alright? But forget about your pet, even if it’s not the animal that has been murdering teenagers, which I doubt, it is a dangerous creature and not a pet, understand?”

“Yes ma’am” Replies Stiles listless, already climbing up the stairs to get his laptop.

…….

Her dad hasn’t got out of the car in two hours, why they hadn’t move since then? What is he waiting for? All her body hurts after spending hours crouched behind the passenger’s seat. God! She’s tempted to getting out, she doesn’t care if her dad discovers her or not, it is so… The car is moving! The car is moving! Where is he taking her now?

This time he only drives five minutes and then gets out of the car slamming the car behind him, Allison takes her chance to get out of her stash when she can’t hear his steps anymore, she opens the door and gets down, kneeling behind the car to not let her dad see her, her boots sink in the snow and she shivers, hell they’re in the woods, this is for real, she look at her back it is all dark, ahead she can see her dad’s silhouette approaching to a building a house, most of the lights are out, except for the one in the porch, where a tall boy… Derek is waiting with his arms folded; Allison reaches a little closer to get a better view, her dad his reaching him with a gun held high.

“Who is it?” Her dad says sharply.

“I don’t know what you are talking about… sir” The guy says sternly.

“Don’t play the fool with me boy, do you think it worth to risk everything because of one of your little dogs!? Her dad yells.

Oh god! Is Derek? The nice guy who brought her home that day, her dad become insane… and… it all makes sense now!

“I don’t know what you’re planning but his ends, here and now, I gave you enough chances to redeem yourself to do something with your life, but instead you have been killing poor kids all over the town”

“What about the first one?” Derek says casually “You know we actually did you a favor”

“What are you talking about? “Her dad demands.

“They are all coming, I’m what it takes to protect my home, to protect everyone in this town”

“Don’t try to play the hero with me, we both know what kind of monster you are, I don’t know why I let you live in the first place” Spits the older, taking now a second gun with his free hand. “If you’re not going to tell me who is, then I’m going to end this once and for all!”

“Another alpha will rise after I die”

“I’ll kill it too, and all the others unless you tell me who has been killing the people in the town! A girl is missing, and this is all your fault, give me the god damn name!”

“I can’t do that I’m sorry” Derek says as if he really means it, and Allison is not sure why but she feels pity for him.

Her dad launches forward, and Derek avoid the shots, then Christopher Argent takes impulse from the wall, throws the guns on the floor, and takes a crossbow from his back and start shooting multiple arrows while he is in the air, her dad is frigging ninja, god if she only had something to help him, oh god! Is she really considering joining the fight?

Derek ducks another row of arrows, and starts darting away her dad is chasing him, Allison stands and dashes following them, why is he running off? Why isn’t he trying to fight back? Fuck she lost track of them, she looks around and spots a dark shape looking around, she hides behind a tree, it is Derek, cranes his neck in all directions as if he were seeing her dad reflected in every tree. Then a shadow lurches out of nowhere, there is a loud moan than later turns into a growl and Derek falls to the ground, she can hear his breathing, it is high but even and peaceful, isn’t he afraid.

“We both knew this was going to end this way” Her dad says softly as if he was enjoining the moment.

“I only regret I didn’t do it before”

“I couldn’t agree more” Derek replies evenly, with no irony or sarcasm on his statement, is he willing to day?

Her dad’s silhouette takes a sharp object from his belt, and impatiently thrust the knife on the boy’s chest, there is a high pitched scream, at first Allison thinks it was Derek who did it, but it isn’t until she notices she’s running that it was actually her, she was the one shrilled and is now running away from her dad.

…….

Stiles opened a software in the computer, it took about fifteen minutes to it to decipher Patrick’s password, at the end it turned out that his password was the word password, what a dump, if she only knew, anyway they hadn’t find anything on it, just Amazon’s offers and porn, lots of porn.

“You know? It would help if you at least tell me who we’re spying, or what we are looking for”| The boy says tiresome, damn it, it was a waste of time.

“The less you know the better” Mellissa explains.

“So this guy is a criminal uh?” The boy chuckles.

“He’s dead and I not sure” She corrects him, she knows she has been a little too harsh on him, but she can’t help it, he lied, he went into the woods in the middle of the night, has been hiding a freaking mutant Wolf, Jesus and she thought she knew him.

“Forget it, we have searched through all the folders and found nothing, you better get some sleep, you got a lot to explain me tomorrow morning” She says disappointed.

“Just hold on a second!” Stiles says frowning. “Why this guy had a folder hidden inside his deleted mails?”

“What do you mean?” Mellissa asks lost.

“He created this folder inside the deleted”

Opens the folder and there is only one mail in there and the date is from three months ago actually from the day Patrick died, and its subject says _HIM_ , She knew it, she knew, something was going on with Patrick, he was involved with something and that’s the reason he got killed, but could it be?

“Open it” She hurries stiles.

Inside there is no text but a picture, Stiles downloads it, her heart starts to pounds, she’s so happy and thrilled, she knew she was right, there is something weird going on, the murderers were made a person, someone killed those boys, but why?

The picture finishes loading and both Stiles and her let out a gasp, her hands start to shake, and her head to spin, this can’t be truth, she’s dazed, her mind clouded, this is not right, this can’t be truth, Mellissa’s eyes get teary as she slams shut the laptop’s to take her eyes off from the picture of Scott.


	10. A WOUNDED HEART

X

A WOUNDED HEART

 

He saunters around in bare feet, the grass tickling his soles, the spring pricks in his nose, the intense sunrays warm up his back and nape spreading from the top of his crown and dripping down his fingertips as bath of light while tiny butterflies friendly flutter all around him, there is no air, but his lungs aren’t burning or begging for it, but in other hand, the bodies…

The bodies are everywhere. 

He should have listened, he just had to listen, if he only had never be born, all this could have been stopped, the streets wouldn’t be sticky with the blood of all the people he once loved, if he only could come back and change it all, put an end, if he just…. 

_Hold your breath, everything, will be over soon._

He jolts on his bed letting out a loud cry…. What the hell was that? He looks around in the darkness, his hands are shaking, and his cheeks are soaked and sticky, has he been crying? His lungs are burning as if he spent a lot of time without breathing, he was asleep, it was just a dream, there is nothing to be afraid of…. Nothing… except for… he can’t remember his dream, there is only a lingering sensation stuck in his chest, he’s not sure if it is a memory or a feeling, it is yellow almost white, it is warm and sad, his eyes get teary with just the thought of it, he reaches a hand to his chest and feels the damp cotton of his pajama’s top, he’s sweating cold and there is an intense pain in his chest, whatever it is, feels almost alive, squirming in his heart, telling him it’s better to let go. 

His hands are flailing, the dark room turns blurry and gauzy and then is when he realizes he’s not breathing again, he’s losing his conscious, he tries to get some air, to inspire but something is wrong with him it is almost as if his body is trying to kill him, his strength is fading and he can barely move his hands now, if he doesn’t do anything quickly… He balls his hand and with the last bit of energy bangs his chest. A nerve impulse jerks up his body and he coughs hauling heaps of fresh cold air in his lungs between coughs.

God! That has been the scariest thing that ever happened to him, including the countless times Scott tried to kill him, Oh Jesus! He’s so tired, he wants to sleep some more, he wants to be anywhere but here, wants another face and name, and not think about everything that happened lately or what is going to happen soon, or… that email, whose the email he just spied hours ago? Why that mail’s owner had a picture of Scott? How Mrs. M knew about it? How she knew what she was looking for and where? The only clue Stiles has is the date, it is from the day after Stiles got back in the town, it is stupid to think about it but, he feels somehow connected to it, after what the wolves said about him being a threat, and that thing they said about he getting them all killed, as if all this was his fault. 

He turns on his computer, there is a way to know who this guy is and why he has a picture of Scott in his email, by the all the porn suggestions in his inbox he must be pervert of a teenager and if he is a teenager….He must a have a Facebook account , while the OS boots, Stiles gets in the bathroom, it is still dark so it means there are still a couple of hours before the sunrise, he’s pretty tired but also too scared to get back to bed, so he takes out his clothes off and gets a hot shower. When he is done the water has washed away some of his dizziness so he brushes his teeth and gets back to bed where his laptop awaits. 

He sits and types his facebook account in the bar, when his profile pops in the screen he looks in the history for the email address of this guy, he hopes it works. He copies the address in the facebook’s search engine and automatically a profile appears in the screen, the display picture is from a guy a couple of years older than him, with black hair and bold brows, has sharp eyes black as pits, his name is Patrick Evans, he’s not sure why but he feels like he heard that name before, which must make sense considering that this guy is probably a creep that jerks off with Scott’s picture, a shiver runs down his spine with the thought of it. His last post was… Actually there are not recent posts well at least not his, but from other people, dozens of them all teenagers saying…. Goodbye, oh hell, Stiles types Patrick’s data on google and hits the news button, he opens the first page which is from the local newspaper, as he imagined, Patrick is dead according to the webpage his body was found in the adjacencies of an illegal teenage party that took place in the forest three months ago… So it means that Patrick is the first guy Scott murdered, and if Scott’s mom saw the picture and the date… OH SHIT! 

There is a loud ring and a buzz on the bed and he whirls letting out a gasp, his heart pounding his rib cage. His phone rings again, and he sighs with some relief and concern at the same time, who could be calling him this early? Hesitantly takes the phone, thinking about Scott’s mom maybe she’s coming over to put him in jail for covering the deaths, she saw Derek as a wolf after all, she musts suspect that something is not right already, that’s something freaking scary is going on in the town and is her work to…. It’s Lydia, thank god! He really needs to calm down and stop thinking so much or else his head is going to blow up one of this days, so with a brief grin he takes the phone to answer the call and then he frowns, why is Lydia calling him this early in the morning?  

…….

How long has she been running? She’s tired and lost and scared, she can’t believe she’s actually running away from her dad as a prey being hunted by a predator, that’s how she feels, she needs to find her way out of the woods she needs to get in the apartment and erase the tape if there is one. Oh god! She’s so frigging frightened, her heartbeat won’t steady any sooner, she’s afraid she might get a heart attack at this rate. 

She hops over a fallen tree almost covered by snow, there dull thuds not far, her dad is nearer than she thought, if he catches her what is she going to say? She was there hoping to see her dad do his work, hoping to see the monster being brought to justice for its actions but instead, she saw how her dad brutally murdered a harmless guy who didn’t do anything, who didn’t move a finger to fight back, who patently awaited for his death without hesitation, her dad is a cold blooded killer, who doesn’t care about who steps in the middle to get what he wants, and the only thing in the middle now is her and the things she just saw. 

She can’t run any longer, her legs are aching and she’s pretty sure the distance between them has narrowed in the last ten minutes, she won’t last any longer, her lungs are burning desperate for air, her chest aches and her hair bounces with every stride blocking her sight, she’s losing it, she can’t do this anymore, he’s going to get her and then… She stumbles with an overgrown root of an oak she swings her arms up to stop her fall but she’s not strong enough, her body sinks into the thick layer of cold snow, she gasps and closes her eyes, she can’t stand, her arms and legs won’t respond, she’s exhausted and breathless and scared as a little girl, what the hell she has been thinking? She has been so focused in running away from her dad that has been running in circles, she had to think in a way to get out of the woods, inspect the zone searching for car’s lights or music or anything but instead she acted like a wounded animal. A twig crunches a few steps behind, this is it, oh god! If she only could get out of the woods, she can’t let her dad find her, she can’t! 

Allison crawls and supports herself on the root to gain some strength and kneels, with a bit of effort she stands shaking, her whole body trembling, it is too dark so it is pointless to look behind and see if is too late, it doesn’t matter she won’t give up without fight or better said, run, her dad would not leave the woods without his car so this is her chance, she needs to find the town, she just needs to reach the road and then she will get a couple of extra time to get into the apartment and delete the recording, she closes her eyes and breaths, she prepares for running again, and steps ahead, her stomach gives a lurch and she’s suddenly invaded by a way of dizziness, she falls to the ground, it is so hard and gritty, actually it’s hurting her knees, there is a shot of light and her back and then she hears the unmistakable sound of a car’s horn, she… is out of the woods. 

…….

“Lydia Calm down!” Stiles begs feeling a lump in his throat “What’s going on? Are you hurt?” 

The girl won’t stop crying. 

“No I’m fine” She says in a wail. 

She’s definitely not fine. 

“Lydia calm down, take breath and explain me what’s going on”  

“You… were right” She cries dragging the words. 

Is she drunk? 

“About what?” He says starting to feel his heartbeat steadying. 

“About how dump I am for dating jerks, Stiles you understands me and I wish I have listened you” She cries a little harder, and Stiles has to take the phone’s speaker a little far from his ear before he becomes temporally deaf. 

“You… you… were right Tackler was an idiot, he got me drunk and brought me to a cheap hotel and when we were in the room…” 

This is just great! Anybody else’s sex life story, exactly what he wanted for breakfast. 

“He… he got a call and I asked who it was and he…” She keeps sniveling, her agitated breathing makes impossible for him to understand. 

“What did you say?” He asks starting to lose his patience. 

“He yelled at me and said no one and then, after we had sex he fell asleep and I got his phone and it was full of dirty texts from at least other four girls, and… I’m so stupid” She whimpers a lot again. “I woke him up and started yelling at him and he called whore…” 

He’s so dead! 

“You were right he is an asshole and I should have listened to you, and I’m… so sorry… he was so right I’m a whore” 

“Lydia, you’re not a whore you’re a smart and beautiful and funny…” 

“Whore” She yelled before he could finish, “I liked Jackson, I really did. Do! And I let him go just because I wanted to be a slut to try everybody at School, that’s why he went so mad, that’s why he ran into that slut’s pants as soon as he could… and after the cab dropped me home I realized that I needed to see him, that I needed to tell him how much I care about him, just wanted to feel safe again in his arms but we can’t, right? We can’t come back because he’s with her and they’re happy and I couldn’t be in the middle because I love him and if he’s happy I should step aside and feel happy for him, but I’m a selfish bitch and I want him back!” 

“Lydia... calm down… you’re not a whore, I’m sick of telling you, you are a great girl who made a mistake… everybody makes mistakes you just need to calm down get some sleep, tomorrow you’ll see everything in a different way” 

_When you’re not drunk._

“Maybe you could talk to Jackson, but it’s time to move on, he’s happy with that girl, it’s time to move on Lydia, to try to find your happiness with someone else” He says with a bit of sadness. 

He feels pity of her. She stops crying so loudly. 

“I know its late night… or too early I’m not sure” She giggles, “But do you think you could come to my place? Sit next to me and hold me until I don’t feel so shitty? I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need it, and I really, really need a hug from a good friend, I need to feel that everything is going to be fine” 

 “Lydia I don’t know… I’m” 

“Please I really need you to do this for me” 

“Ok I’ll be there in twenty minutes” He says discouraged cutting the call. 

Well at least his dad is not home, because if he finds out that…

“Hey” Says a voice from his back and Stiles jumps on his feet and lets out a high pitched short gasp. 

He turns on his back, there is a dark shape before the window with fiery blue eyes and a devilish grin that shows up a full white denture with long…really long fangs. 

“What the hell you think you’re doing? You can’t come in from the window! You’re gonna scare my neighbors!” Stiles reproaches angrily. 

What the hell is he doing here anyway? 

“I’m sure your scream scared them already” Derek replies in a low and ragged mock. 

“It’s not funny you could have given me a heart attack, what are you doing here? For someone who hates me, you come over too often!”  

“I need…” Derek starts and pants, has he been running or something? 

“Your jacket? Couldn’t you wait until morning? It’s your fault for giving it to me in the…” 

“Shut up! Just shut up” Derek growls with anger. 

A shiver runs ran Stiles’ spine. 

“I need hel…” The wolf starts stretching an arm and stumbling over Stiles feet knocking his head against the floor in a loud thud, he’s unconscious.  

“Derek… wake up” He says feeling his heart slamming hard against his ribs. 

He slowly kicks him in the arm to see if he responds, but nothing happens. 

Stiles kneels and rolls Derek over his back, Jesus! He’s burning! Not just hot as earlier but actually burning, Stiles lets him on the floor, his white flannel is stained but he can’t see what it is, he reaches the switch and lights up the room, and then let’s out a cry of shock, Derek chest is black with dried blood, and something yellow and purple comes out of the pounding bulge that slightly protrudes over his rib cage… is that…is that his heart? 

…….

She weeps in his bed, she lays there staring at the darkness that hides the ceiling, she couldn’t tell Stiles about Patrick and what she was looking for, because she wasn’t sure thought a part of her knew deep inside, that more than answers she was waiting for a confirmation, and now she has it. Scott’s empty bed with mattress and pillows arranged to make it look as occupied finished to convince her of the truth, she’s the mother of a murderer. 

It all makes sense now, what Carlson friend said about the boy’s fight with Scott outside the mall a day before Carlson’s body was found dead, the fact that the boy was looking for Scott after the game to take revenge, and now Patrick talking to an unknown person about Scott, exchanging a picture of her son taken from far, Patrick probably was planning on kidnaping him or something else and then Scott killed him. 

The memories of the day before Patrick’s dead comes to her mind, she smiling happily… thinking about Simon and Stiles coming back after everything the two of them went through, finding Scott resting in this same bed telling her he wasn’t feeling fine that needed some rest, and then the next day a boy’s body is found dismembered, murdered by a sadist that enjoyed every last minute of Patrick’s life, and hours later she finds Scott unconscious in his bed bathed in blood. Simon said it was his blood, but he could faked it, after he murdered Patrick so no one would suspect, and how could anyone? The wounds in the dead body were made from a wild beast, a nameless animal. 

Scott must trained the monster to kill and… her heart should have skipped a beat right now, because the memory of Stiles and that enormous wolf comes to her mind, but it doesn’t surprises her, she knew it wasn’t a harmless pet, she knew it was the monster that killed those poor kids, and now she has the confirmation, Stiles did it without knowing, he showed her their killing machine and how it could do anything they want, even kill if is needed. Two teenagers that have been underdogs their whole lives, bullied at school for being different…. The would be thirty of revenge deep inside, make the things different, make everyone who hurt them at least a part of the pain that had to face, and what if they could find a way to do it? What would they do? If they get the chance to actually accomplish their deep and darkest secrets? Would they take the chance? Especially when it implies that no one would ever suspect of them? 

Mellissa lets out a long gasp, and then shrills covering her face with a pillow, her eyes are swollen already… she has been mourning for three hours already, her boys, her little beautiful boys are murderers, they are bad people, she spends the day trying to make this town a safer place for everybody while they kill people at her back, she feels sick and angry with herself for being so blind, for letting this happen, it is all her fault, for not being closer to Scott, and his father’s for being a monster to their son, he wanted them to pay back for all what happened to him, to them, show the world that no matter what criminals always pay in one way or other, the question is…. Will she make them pay? Her breath his hitched and the lump in her throat is chocking her, her hands shake so badly she’s unable to reach her eyes to dry them, but she knows what she must do, she swore to protect this town and the people in it, no matter what…. 

Melissa dries her eyes and blows her nose with a handkerchief, maybe she can’t contact Scott, maybe she doesn’t know where he is, but… Stiles is just a few steps from her.

…….

“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you home? This is a really dangerous neighborhood” Says kindly the woman who found Allison in the middle of the road next to the forest’s lines. 

It’s a relief to being able to breath, to feel her heartbeat even, she knows it isn’t over, at least not yet, there is still a lot she must do, like think how she got out of the woods so quickly? She knows she wasn’t even near, but there are more urgent things she must face first. 

“No, thank you! You have done enough already, thank you so much for bringing me home” She replies with a short smile that suddenly turns into a giggling. 

“It’s nothing honey, have a good night” Says the woman smiling back and clicking the switch to unlock the passenger’s door for her. 

Allison thanks her one last time, and gets out of the car, that quickly vanishes in the empty streets when it takes the curve at the nearest corner. Allison breaths out and stares at the flickering lamp post before her, she shivers but not because of the cold air, with every minute things just become scarier and weirder, she already knew her dad was a trained demon hunter but seeing him that way, so fierce, so wild made her freak out, it couldn’t be the same man who taught her how to drive her first bike, or who read her bedtime stories when she was little. She wouldn’t be surprised to find out her dad has an evil twin brother who kidnaped her and brought her back to Beacon Hills four mounts ago, after all she has seen and done it would definitely make more sense than the fact that her dad, her architect, her witty condescending but sweet hero could be the same man she just saw hours ago. 

Allison folds her arms around her chest to protect herself from the cold wind and steps inside the building, in the entrance is an old and ratty Christmas tree with more broken lights than working ones, the stairs rail is decorated with a garlands that have tiny baubles fastened to them. Allison climbs the steps quickly she is not sure how much time she has left, but she needs to be quick and erase the record any record of her in the forest. 

She opens the door quickly and puts all the furniture on their way to unlock the dresser’s door and access to the unground room, when it is open she hurries to jump and close the door behind her with a flick or her wrist, she’s a little shocked of how things has changed within her in matter of days, she’s still not sure what name put to what they are but she’s already sick of all this crap, she doesn’t want to do anything with werewolves and necromancers and anything else, she just want her dad to be normal and she to come back to Scott, is that ask too much? 

She gets in the room, turns on the lights and automatically the displays lit up before her, she can’t lose any more seconds, she knows her dad might be already coming in, so she must be ready to hide somewhere in case he get in, maybe below the table, though it is too obvious. 

Her hands flies trough the keys as her eyes sweep through the displays, the car was outside Derek’s house, but she hasn’t see a camera pointing straight to it, maybe her dad didn’t dare to put one that close the cabin, so it means she’s safe, well barely safe, because when she clicks the rewind button and all the room’s displays start to run the time backwards she knows she’s screwed, she’s almost in every camera of forest’s section, thought of course her dad won’t know it was exactly her because there is no tape of her getting down of his car, it won’t make any difference because the running shape he is after is a girl’s, a girl from her daughter’s age.  

So basically it is a dead end, if she goes know there is a chance her dad doesn’t find her destroying evidence in his underground headquarters, though he will still know that someone knows his secret and that saw him killing a man in the forest, and that he’s a frigging secret agent or whatever, but if she stays and erases everything her dad might get here in a couple of minutes and find her, and if he doesn’t find her he might come over to check the videos to identify this person and when he doesn’t find the videos he will know that someone knows, so it doesn’t matter what… She’s screwed. 

She closes the backward playing and reestablishes the services, god what’s is she going to do? At least there is no one else in the streets so it will be easy for her to see her dad if he’s already back in the town, but he’s not, he looks around and there is no sign of his car in any of the streets, so it is a good sign maybe he’s still trying to find her in the woods to kill her, of course she knows her dad wouldn’t kill her if she would have let him catch her, but what if her dad is one of those guys who shots first and asks later? He could have been right now weeping over her frozen body with an arrow in her neck. She looks around in the screens and for a second she sees it, an almost undetectable flash of red and yellow light in the corner of one of the screens, five or six displays later a human shape not as bright as the first one runs in that direction, the one arm drawn forward and the other bent in the back as if the person where holding something, a large stick or a gun…. That must be her dad, and he is after someone else, by the intense red glow she saw seconds ago it must be a werewolf, so… she’s safe…. For now. 

…..

It was so hard to carry Derek downstairs, his body is heavy, seriously what the hell he eats? Rocks? Maybe he’s already dead and that’s why… oh god no! He can’t die… if he dies Scott will be a monster his whole life! Anyway, it has been specially hard take him downstairs because of his fever, he’s probably over the hundred fifty degrees or so, he literally scorched Stiles’ palms and nape while he dragged him downstairs, his hands are red and swollen and he’s almost sure the hair in the back of his neck is burned. 

When he finally gets to open his car’s door without dropping him in the ground, Stiles gets in and takes him by the armpits, they are soaked! Gross! He takes up with all his strength and Derek’s limp body slowly gets in, he reclines him in the back seat, he doesn’t want to explain the police why is he driving in the middle of the night with a dying werewolf in the passenger’s seat. 

_This is never going to end,_ he thinks with fear climbing to his chest. 

Stiles takes a deep breath and get in his car, Derek is dying just back him, what happened to him? How did get those wounds? His heart his dripping this clammy and disgusting liquid, he had to bandage it using the first aid kit in his bathroom, but of course it won’t be enough, is life is in his hands, and Stiles doesn’t know what to do, he’s so scared, he’s going to die in the back of his car if he doesn’t do something quickly. 

The streets are now only long dim lights rushing past him, it is good is still early in the morning or else he wouldn’t be able to make it at time, oh God! His heart is… he’s choking, one thing is to find a dead body in the woods but other quite different is to find someone you know agonizing in your bedroom’s floor, it is too hard to bare, if only his dad was home. 

“Where…where...are….you taking me?” Derek’s voice asks between pants. 

Stiles’ heart skips a beat, and he stops the car abruptly.   

“Are you insane? Don’t scare me that way! You’re going to get us killed! I’m taking you to the hospital!” He replies sharply, starting to put the car on drive again. 

“No… you can’t… do…” 

“Why not? What the hell you want me to do then? Bury you?” 

“They won’t know what to do…. I’ll just…die” Derek replies and Stiles watches him stands through the rearview mirror, his face is even paler than usual, his stubble is a bit large and his fiery eyes sunken and their light isn’t as vivid as usual it is actually fading turning almost grayish instead of their habitual electric blue shade. 

“What do you want me to do then?” Stiles asks losing his mind, what the hell is he going to do? 

“Turn…left…. Take the main street… then take…. Jefferson Street… all the way down…” Derek’s face falls on his shoulder, oh god is he dead now? 

“Derek wake up! Do you want me to take you to the forest?” 

“No” Derek moans. 

“Why aren’t you healing anyway?” Stiles frowns, trying to keep him busy to not drift away and die. 

“I got…poisoned… by…. Monks…hood” 

“What? How? Who did this to you?” 

This is becoming too weird to bear. “Do you want me to call Isaac or one of the others?” Let’s face it, he doesn’t know anything about werewolves, he just knows about dogs and that’s somehow racist to them, so he can’t do much. 

“No… they… will…kill me… when a pack leader agonizes… his wolves fight between them…. To decide who will… end with his suffering and become….the new…. Alpha” 

So basically they can’t know Derek is dying or else they are all dead, good! 

Stiles follows Derek’s instructions which aren’t hard to get considering that he is asking him to take him to his parent’s house, well not probably to his parent’s house but somewhere near, maybe there is a hidden cave in the wood line. When he reaches the dirt road he stops the engine, slightly touches Derek’s forehead, his palm gets automatically soaked and red by the intense heat, it is amazing and scaring at the same time, at least Derek is still breathing, Stiles can’t get how is that Derek’s is still alive, he should have died, no one’s heart should be out of their chest, their ribs probably broken, lungs crushed and still be able to breath, werewolves are scaring and admirable creatures. 

Stiles climbs down and opens Derek’s door. 

“Can you walk?” Stiles asks when the wolf wakes up in a jolt. 

Derek nods, his eyes sway in all directions, their light is almost gone, the werewolf reaches whirls on his seat and falls over Stiles, he cracks the back of his head against the frozen concrete and almost loses his consciousness, Derek lays over him his swollen heart pounding against him, it’s so disturbing and scaring Stile’s own heart would have popped out of his chest if it wasn’t busy trying to choke him to dead. A hot liquid starts to stream down the back of his neck as he manages to Stand and take Derek’s heavy body with him. 

“Derek, we are here” He mumbles, feeling Derek’s breathing on the side of his neck weaker with every second. “Where do you want me to take you?” 

“The…there” The werewolf pants rising a shaking hand and pointing toward a house. 

“My house?” Stiles says frowning. 

“Do you live here?” Derek says confused. 

“Used to… when my mom was alive” Stiles explains starting to slowly pace toward the building. 

“So… you know Deaton…is his house I want to get in” 

“What? No! I’m not going there!” Stiles says stopping short, recalling that night in the woods, he shoved him down in the cold lake, almost killed him, he was his parent’s best friend and Still he tried to kill Stiles! Why Derek wants to go there? 

“I need… an antidote… and he’s the… only one who can have it” Derek explains. 

“No! He tried to kill me… this is so unfair! I won’t get in there” Stiles says angrily. 

“Get me inside… or I’ll kill you here and now!” Derek growls fiercely. 

“Who the hell you think you are to being threatening me uh? Who had to drag your dying ass all over the town so won’t die? You’re so ungrateful… I should just let you die!” Stiles is so sick of this guy, if only Scott… “You know what? I’m not just going to not get in there I’m calling Scott right now! He just have to finish you and all this nightmare will be over for good! No murdering,  no full moon… no chaining and abandoning my best friend in the middle of nowhere, and the best of all no more you!” Stiles blurts out hyperventilating. 

He looks at Derek with a devilish grin, he has the power now, and there is nothing Derek can do to stop him. 

“Ok” Derek sighs. 

His eyes are almost white down the dim light of the lamppost next to them. 

“Call…him…” Derek says flickering, “Be…quick… I won’t last…. Long…” 

Stiles gaps widening his eyes. 

“But listen to me… after…” Derek takes a pause and swallows, he grimaces and continues, “After I’m dead! There will be a new pack leader… you must go… and never come…back…you hear me? Take your families… and…run” 

Stiles stares at Derek for a second… is he for real? 

“Hurry up… I won’t… last any…longer” Ends with a moan. 

“Jesus! I was kidding alright? I wasn’t really going to call Scott…. It’s just that you piss me off... Sometimes” Oh great now he’s babbling too. 

He really thought Stiles was going to call Scott, what the hell is wrong with Derek? Why he isn’t afraid of dying? He almost fancy it, anyway what was all that _take your families and run_ stuff? 

Stiles phone rings. Shit just what he needed. 

“Hi?” He asks without seeing his remittent. 

“Stiles where are you?” Lydia’s voice asks. 

Shit Lydia! 

“I’m sorry, something came up… I’m really busy right now… I’m sorry” 

“Stiles….” She starts, shit he has no time for this…

“Lydia I’m so sorry, I’ll make it out for you I promise!” 

“But Stiles!” 

He cuts the call. 

Fuck! Now he feels like shit. 

“What…happened?” Derek asks with wide eyes. 

“You! That’s what happened! This is the second time you step in the middle of my plans!” Stiles grunts furious! “You owe me two dates already!” 

Oh crap! 

“Wait…that’s not what I mean...” 

Too late! Derek is already chuckling. Seriously? This have to be the first time Stiles see him actually laughing and he is about to die, Jesus! What’s wrong with him? 

“Don’t be an ass you know what I meant… now let’s get you in there before I change my mind” He says irritably, continuing their crusade to save Derek’s life. 

…….

Allison’s heartbeats had slowed down a little since she discovered, that her dad is somewhere in the woods hunting more werewolves, which means that he forgot about her, or maybe he that who saw him murdering Derek was another werewolf, god! Thinking about Derek stings her in the chest, he was a good guy, he brought her home that night, he knew about the werewolves and that’s why he escorted her home, of course he is a werewolf or else her dad wouldn’t kill him, and the gracefully way he moved, it was amazing, but he was protecting the other wolf, the wildling that has been murdering people, but why? Why risk your own life for someone who doesn’t worth it?

Before Allison climbs up the stairs to get in the apartment she takes a new bow and a quiver full of silver pointed arrows, she can see in their heads that it is the pure silver they mention the book, it is all white, extremely thin almost as paper and sharp enough to cut the air itself, instead of halo there are diminutive ripples surrounding there head as if it were energy, she’s tempted to touch it but she’s afraid she might lose a finger in her attempt, she should have taken a gun or anything else, but she’s afraid of using any of them and she’s still not sure why she’s taking the bow with her anyway, ain’t like she’s going to murder her dad it is just that… She doesn’t feel safe walking back home at this hours, there are still a time before dawn and her dad might be back home any time soon, so she must be quick.

 Shuts the dresser’s door and moves all the furniture back to its place, though it doesn’t matter anymore, when her dad gets back here he will discover the missing bow and quiver, to not mention the lack of evidence of that night’s pandemonium in the woods, so it means she’s won’t be able to come back here, her dad will probably shut down the place for good.

The first thing she feels when she’s out of the apartment is coldness deep to the bones, then sadness and disappointment for brief moments she thought her dad was a hero, a person to admire but the truth is that he chases unharmed targets and murder them. She climbs down the stairs and looks around in the dark street through the porch’s door before stepping out, and starting to walk back home, it will take her forty minutes or so, so she better hurry up. She zips up her jacket and pulls up her hood, shoving her hands in the pockets and break through the snow covered sidewalk. 

Ok ain’t like Derek was an angel, he knew about the werewolves, and her dad said something about him being on charge so it means that he must be indirectly responsible for what has been going on, and her dad had to make a decision, today is full moon, if he doesn’t put down the beast before the moon comes out the town will be in danger, all of them will be in danger, and Derek said something about another rising… memories of the five red bulbs on the computer screen maker shrug, it is true Derek might be death but there another four of them in the woods and her dad is alone with them… There is nothing to worry about… Then she recalls the conversation her dad was having in his room, he didn’t want to do it alone, he was waiting for someone who help him, he wasn’t sure he could be able to do it, and yet he tried… Her dad is in danger. Her heart suddenly slams hard against her chest, oh god! She’s not really considering to go there and help her dad… She was just trying to escape from him a couple of hours ago and now she’s thinking about get back in the woods? What’s wrong with her? 

Her legs start striding, her teeth chattering, her hands shaking and her head throbbing, Derek let her dad kill him but that doesn’t mean that the other four would let him, and her dad might be a ninja or secret agent but the numbers aren’t in his favor, so… What’s is she going to do anyway? She stills have a lot to learn before aim an arrow toward a living thin to not mention that this living things have feelings and emotions and claws, fangs, super speed… Oh god her dad! What the hell was she thinking leaving him alone in the woods? If she would have tell him about all she discovered maybe he would have trained her, and now his life wouldn’t be at risk. There is no time to lose, it doesn’t matter if her dad did right or wrong with Derek, he was a werewolf after all, he was one of the bad guys, her dad just did what he had to, anyway it’s her dad, she can’t lose him too, she can’t afford to lose her dad, so she must get there and find him before it is too late. The wood line isn’t far from where she is exactly, she could take the dirt road behind the hill and will be with her dad in a couple of minutes, ok this is the most reckless thing she has ever done and she’s so scared and freezing to death while she runs down the desolated streets… but She’s also thrilled. 

She gets in the long and narrow street before the hill that connects the town with the dirt road that takes to the woods when a hunched shape makes her stop short, there is a person slowly pacing before the lamppost, she can see that is scarcely carrying a big weight though she’s not sure of what she’s seeing, she squints and she hides behind a trash can, it is a person carrying another one toward a house. It doesn’t matter she doesn’t have time for this, she turns on her heels and faces the gnarled three’s branches ahead on the hill. She starts climbing up when, she spots a car parked behind some tall bushes, and her eyes instinctively recognize it, it is… Stiles’ jeep. Stiles? But why? How? The arched figure comes back to her mind and Allison darts back on her way… When she gets back in the street, she finds him approaching a home, wasn’t that his old house? Did he come because he misses her mom again? No… he’s not stopping there, actually he’s heading to the next door’s doorway, when she lets behind the fence she notices the limping, the effort he’s making to walk and the porch light baths him and… Derek’s bleached face. 

Oh god! Derek is Alive! He’s alive! And he’s with Stiles, what the hell is going on here? Do they know each other? Then the memory pops in the back of her mind, they knew Derek in the forest, the day she met Stiles and later in the party, in the rave where it all began… And Stiles is taking him to a house, but why? 

Allison smoothly crawls toward them to get a better view and hides behind the fence, they are talking. 

“Just… stretch it” Derek says in a thin line of voice, he might have survived but won’t last long.

“Like this?” Stiles asks in a gasp. 

Allison slowly rises her head a sees Stiles rising one hand in the air in front of the portico’s steps. 

“Now…Swing…it….to…your…right” Derek orders panting. 

“Why are we doing this?” Stiles asks before following the dying guy’s instructions. 

“There is a mark….in the house no of us would be able to get…in… unless someone breaks… the bind” Derek explains couching. 

“Oh shit, don’t die I’m going to do it” Stiles says and swings his right hand and then…

A wild breeze explodes in all directions shoving Allison back throwing her on the ground, she stands quickly crouching back, Stiles is squinting stepping with Derek into the porch where there door awaits for them widely open. 

Stiles… Stiles is a Binder. 

…….

Oh hell! Derek knows more about Stiles’ and what’s he capable of than himself, damn he’s blown an invisible wall with one of his hands, what the hell? How is this possible? Dark dirt jumped to his clothes when the wind burst in all directions, and now there is an odd quietness in the air as if something he can’t place in his mind just vanished. 

Stiles tightness his grip on Derek’s burning arm and steps ahead, the front door is suddenly open, when they are about to get in a dark figure paces out of the darkness in the doorway and Stiles’ heart gives a lurch. 

“You won’t get in” Dr. Deaton says sternly. 

Stiles blood turns cold and his chest starts to ache, this is his parent’s friend, the same one who tried to kill him. 

“Deaton…” Derek Starts. 

“I did enough for you Derek… we both knew this would eventually end this way” Deaton replies dryly. 

“You tried to kill me, you son of…” Stiles tries to say but Dr. D cuts him off. 

“I saved your life… I told you a thousand times, thought I don’t even know why because I see you didn’t learn your lesson” 

He knows… he knows… who is Dr. D?  Oh god! This is so wrong. 

“If I die this will be a hell” Derek says trying to mediate. 

“Even if I help you, there is nothing you can do to…” 

“I can… I can do it” Derek growls “I’ll prove you you’re wrong” 

“Go ahead, I can’t promise you I’ll be able to help you, but let’s do it, Derek please, show me how wrong am I” Dr. D says with sarcasm stepping aside to let him in. 

“Don’t mess with me, you know you will heal me, you read it already don’t you?” Derek snarls. 

Dr. D snorts, what are they talking about? 

Stiles leans and walks inside, still carrying Derek with him, god he’s heavier with any second. 

“Can you help me?” Stiles asks gasping, he’s still mad at the man but he can’t just drop Derek in the ground, can’t he? 

“Don’t you know anything? The molecular structure of werewolves is too heavy, I’m not going to crack my back to take him downstairs” Dr. D mocks and a shiver runs down Stiles’ back. Yeah the guy has been always pretty sarcastic and condescending but… he’s acting differently as if… he’s on command on control of the situation, almost threatening, and he knows Derek is a werewolf, he had a freaking invisible supernatural wall outside his house, what the hell? Seriously, What the hell? 

He turns on the light, and Stiles looks around, it’s been years since the last time he got inside this house, yet everything is on the same spot, even the walls are still cream colored, seems like since Marin left to collage Dr. D didn’t care anymore how his how looked like. They follow the man to the stairs but instead of climbing them on –Stiles’ back thanked that- he takes them to the closet below them. Dr. D opens the door and shoves aside a couple of brooms and mops, then kneels and pulls up the carpet, below is a trapdoor, Jesus! Can this become any weirder? 

Doctor Deaton turns on the light of the closet and climbs down the stairs below, Stiles follows him, the light doesn’t follow them though, in the basement there isn’t any light, everything is so dark, he makes an effort to follow Dr. D’s shape but it is pointless he keeps stumbling with tables and making too much noise. The mysterious man turns on the light and then Stiles gaps. 

They’re in a basement of course, but… isn’t like a normal family’s basement, unless your family is part of a sick sect, there are crystal jars, tons of them, with body parts immersed on light brown liquids, most of them are human’s but others he’s not sure of, in one counter are dozens of shoe boxes some are opened, dried herbs and withered leaves are scattered, flowers and twigs. 

In the wall back him are dissected insects, many of them larger than usual, and some Stiles hasn’t seen before, like a winged Tarantula that gives him Goosebumps to just picturing it flying around, so this is a Binder… a creep. 

“Put him there” Doctor Deaton orders, pointing at a plain clean iron table that shimmers with the touch of the light, Stiles approaches and slowly drops Derek over it, his eyes are closed and his breathing is almost inaudible, oh god! He’s going to die! 

Doctor D. approaches him carrying a syringe with him, a white liquid dripping from its tip. 

“Aren’t you going to kill him right?” Stiles asks hesitantly. 

“Why are you so afraid of me?” Dr. D frowns. 

_Are you kidding me?_

“I didn’t try to kill you Stiles, Wolves’ body heat is higher than human’s, he wouldn’t chase you down in the lake, wildlings aren’t able to swim and the extreme coldness against its body heat would probably get him into a shock state, you get it now? The man says sternly. 

It takes a couple of seconds for Stiles to process what Dr. D said but when he finally gets the pieces together in his mind, gaps… so he saved his life that night Scott wouldn’t get him in the… 

“What is a wildling?” Stiles asks frowning. 

“Do I really have to answer that?” Dr. D. Snorts and stings Derek’s arm with the syringe, then unlooses Stiles’ attempt of bandaging. 

As Stiles expected, he didn’t freaked out, God! 

“So you have seen something like this before?” He asks wryly. 

“Actually I didn’t” Doctor. D chuckles. “I’m very impressed, seems like Chris has improved his poisoning skills” 

…….

Ok she lost the track of them for ten minutes now, and hell she is tempted to leave, her dad needs help! She wants her bed, wants her mom and all this over…but… What she just saw Stiles do… This doesn’t make any sense, he can bind, he knows stuffs, he brought Derek here to save his life, because this guy at the door he’s a doctor… actually is the doctor Stiles’ accused of trying to murder him! What the hell is going on here? If she could only hear what they are saying, but she looks around in the windows and she sees no one around, is almost as if they vanished, oh god! She can’t believe she’s actually going to do this! 

Allison jumps the fence and face down darts to the door, she hides in the porch and squints through to the window, the place is empty, at least the living room so they must be inside, her heart skips a beat before she opens the door and stealthy sneaks inside, she’s in a small living room, in front of her are stairs and at the other side she spots something that looks like a fridge, but the only lit room is the one in which she’s standing and a dim and thin line that seems to come out below the stairs. 

The _spark_ pricks her hand and she gasps, Stiles is here… her body is telling her he’s here, she slowly paces toward the door below the staircase making sure to hide in the shadows just in case they are nearer than what she thinks, when she reaches the door, stops short when muffled voices come out, the come from beneath. _A basement!_  

Allison kneels and presses her ear against the cold wood floor. 

“Chris like Chris Copper? Allison’s father?” She hears Stiles’ voice say in astonishment. 

“Yeah, I almost forget his daughter is your intimate friend” The man mocks, and she recalls, this is the man with the book! The same book she found in her mother’s stuffs and that she hides below her pillow! Who is he? She can’t remember his name right now, but is something with D. 

“We’re just friends” Stiles’ voice replies hastily, “Wait a moment… Allison’s father knows about werewolves?” Asks in shock. 

“Of course… He’s Hunter after all” The man replies as if it was comments thing in the world, he knows about her dad! Oh god! “Can you please hand me that box?” 

There is pause. 

“Thank you” 

“But why he attacked Derek? I don’t get it” Stiles seems frustrated. 

“Because he’s a Hunter, that’s what they do” The man replies sternly. “And…Because Derek killed his wife” 

Allison tries to her Stiles’ shocked questions but she went suddenly deaf, the air came out of her lungs like sucked by a hoover, her mind is cloudy and just short-circuited, her heart isn’t pounding heart but heavily as if it suddenly weighted a thousand pounds, what did he say? 

No no no no no no no no, her mom…. Did he meant her mom? This is impossible… but who else could it be? Her dad’s wife was her mom, but he just said that Derek murderer her, and that’s impossible because her dad told her, her mom died in a car accident she died in a car accident, why would her dad lie to her? 

Allison scoots back, and stands running out to the front door, this must be a mistake this can’t be real, her mom died in a car accident, it was no one’s fault, it was what her dad told her, what she was thought, but he lied, he had been lying to her, her whole life, there must another explanation for all this. She gets out of the house and keeps darting away from lying Stiles, from Lydia Dr. whoever his name is, they have to be wrong, please that they are wrong! But there is only one way to be sure of it, and the answer is just a couple of streets away. 

As she flees away the memories, where are the memories? She can’t place in her mind one time her dad said here was where it happened, though of course he’s a sadist to take her where her mom had the accident, but now that she thinks about it, there isn’t anything else, no clues or conversations related to it, with anyone and how could there be? They left right after her mom’s funeral and never came back until now! If her dad lied to her, if really her dad said another bullshit lie and the bigger and more painful of all she swears she’s..! The anger is flaring so hard in her chest she almost can feel it burning her from within melting everything turning her into a molded alloy of fury and fear. 

She gets in the street, at the other side of the road is the public library a large and snow covered place with crystal walls through which she can see rows and rows of bookshelves and computers, there somewhere must be an archive with records of all the newspapers published since the towns founding, Allison hesitantly crosses the street, her hands shaking and her teeth chattering and she’s not sure anymore if it because of the cold wind or the fear that froze her chest and breathing. 

She’s tired, she’s sick of all of this, the lies and the mystery, of being especial, and being unable of anything, she’s tired of being herself and all the shit that has been going on lately, of her dad telling her lies and hiding things, and her friends too, she can’t believe Stiles is actually capable of do things and know about werewolves and didn’t told her anything, and is right now trying to save the life of the guy who probably murdered her mom and who is responsible for all the murders in the town the last three months, this is it she can’t help it anymore, she just needs one last truth and everything will be over, the library won’t open its doors until four more hours, but Allison can’t wait any longer to know the truth she has been waiting her whole life and she’s done with that shit. 

…….

“His wife?” Stiles repeats dazed, staring shocked at Derek’s fainted face. “Do you mean Allison’s mom?” 

Doctor Deaton nods as he takes another syringe to get blood sample, the blood he tugs comes out in a dark and yellowish color that makes Stiles feel sick. 

He murdered Allison’s mother, he knows Derek can be an asshole, an idiot and grumpy piece of werewolf shit, but… He wasn’t expecting this, but why not? Derek is a werewolf a despiteful and dangerous creature with the only porpoise in his life to slaughter villages and kill everything that moves, that’s what he is, that’s what his wolves are that’s what Scott… no… no… Scott isn’t like him. 

“What are you so shocked?” Deaton says arching a brow, walking quickly to the herbs boxes and rummaging around. 

“I don’t know” Stiles replies sharply, he should have known. 

“He didn’t told huh?” Mocks the Doctor. “Anyway it wasn’t as you’re thinking!” 

“He fucking murdered one my of friends mother!” Stiles growls with rage. 

She suffered, she grow up without a mom, had to face her life without her, the most important person in the world left and because of that dying bastard in that table, how can’t Deaton expect him to not over react? If it was his mom, he would have killed Derek already, maybe he should… he deserves it anyway. 

“I told… it wasn’t as you were thinking!” Doctor Deaton says back him, rummaging deeper in the boxes “Marin!” He grunts, “What the hell has been this girl doing in here?” 

Marin! That’s why! Marin tried to warn him that night in Halloween, but why she didn’t tell him what was going on? 

“I need a favor” Dr. D says sternly craning his neck to him. 

“What kind of favor?” Stiles asks doubtful. 

“Need you to find a flower for me, I don’t know what kind of poison Chris used, all I can do is delay the symptoms but it will be for an hour or two, then he will definitely die” The man explains, addressing a couples of drawers and pushing a table a couple of feet away from Stiles. 

“I don’t care is better if he dies! He deserves it!” Stiles shrieks making a guttural noise with the back of his throat, he hates Derek he really hates him and wants him dead! 

“You know if Derek dies…. Scott will never be human again” Deaton suggests arching a brow. 

He knows about Scott! Oh god he knows! 

“Don’t look me like that, I’m not stupid of course I know you guys little secret” The man grins. “I have eyes everywhere” Assures with a sneer. “So… what are you going to do? Are you going to save Derek’s life? Or curse Scott forever?” 

Stiles hesitates for a second. “What do I have to do?” Replies with determination. 

“It is easy actually… all you need to do is darken a candle” Explains the man throwing a lighter to him. 


	11. ATRUM

XI

ATRUM

 

Allison is back in town, which is good because she’s safe at least for now, but god! He has been so stupid and careless something could have happened to her, he was so focused on Derek that lowered his guard on his senses he would have feel her near, he could have avoided all this, but he has no time for that, he must be quick and be over with it. She must think the worst of him after what she saw and by the way she screamed she was definitely upset, she didn’t think he might really kill Derek, he didn’t fight back after all, but why he didn’t try to kill Chris? He’s not like the other werewolves, he was willing to die and Chris just gave him what he wanted, there doesn’t have to be any regrets, he’s a hunter after all.  

It is pitch black in the woods, he’s in the thickest part, they must have stopped already to catch some air, with this weather they won’t be able to get his scent until it is too late so he has some vantage over them though he still needs to be quick, it isn’t safe to chase and bring to bay wounded werewolves, he’s sure he hit the girl with an arrow but he’s not so sure of the other two and one of them is really fast so it makes it more difficult for Chris to continue his hunt, but he can’t wait until dawn, he can afford to have a newborn pack leader and other three wolves craving for revenge in a full moon day.

There are dark splotches on the snow ahead, they are almost invisible in the darkness but luckily he got a glimpse of them, he takes out his flashlight and aims the snow with it, it is blood, the drops are fewer and shorter than he thought, so her arm is already healing, it will be harder for him to track them down, at least he knows he’s on the right way.

……..

 She traces circles with the heel of her gloved hand over the tarnished crystal doors hoping to whip away some of the cloudiness but it is pointless, even if she could take the fog out she wouldn’t be able to see inside. She hesitates before taking one arm out of her jacket, the freezing cold breeze makes her shiver as it hits her by the back as a frozen knife stabbing her kidney. When her bare arm is freezing and her teeth chattering she folds the other one beneath the cozy cloth making a thick layer of leather and fur that then she uses to break in through the glass.

…….

Stiles looks at Derek, he lays on the table, his chests rising and lowering slowly…too slowly he can’t help hating him, Derek is the reason why they all in this mess in the first place, all the times that he threatened Stiles, that time he almost chocked him to death, he isn’t a good person, he murdered Allison’s mom, but… He was disposed to release Scott, to end with all this without asking anything in return….Yeah Derek can be an asshole sometimes, ok maybe not just sometimes but did he really deserves to die? He definitely do, then why Stiles is hesitating anyway? He knows the only way to save Scott is to keep Derek alive but he can’t help thinking that even if there was another way to turn Scott human Stiles still would try to save Derek’s life. 

Derek peaceful face suddenly turns into a painful grimace and Stiles has to look away.

“Interesting” Deaton says with a smirk.

“What?” Stiles asks puzzled.

“Seems like Chris not just wanted Derek to die but suffer as much pain as possible” The man stares at the agonizing werewolf with amazement, “He really hates Derek, I knew he would use something difficult for me to decipher but this… I must say I wasn’t expecting this” 

“You knew he was going to poison Derek?” Stiles frowns.

“Yeah I also knew you were going to bring him here” Replies the doctor casually sauntering in the room and rummaging through some drawers. “I was just hoping that maybe you wouldn’t get in after all”

“What do you mean?” Stiles isn’t getting anything.

“Everything is happening the way it should” The man says sternly and for the first time nor his eyes neither his mouth are smiling.

“You can see the future?” Stiles gaps, hell what else this guy can do?

“That’s sounds so stupid, of course not… I just pounder the possibilities brought by the wind and some are stronger than others but… I must admit I hoped I could stop you”

“You didn’t do much… You just let us in”

“I grant you that… it is true, but I couldn’t help it, the odds weren’t at my favor, in a way or other I would have ended helping you I just made the things easier for all of us”

The man takes a long white cylinder, a candle and in his other hand is a holder, he place them in the table next to Stiles and then stares at him hastily.

“What?” Stiles arches his brow.

“You must go now if you want to save him” Dr. D explains.

“I don’t want to save him I want to save Scott”

Dr. D chuckles.

“What so funny?” God! He’s sick of his condescendence.

“Why do you care so much about that boy?” Asks the man with a sharp look, he knows the answer already he’s just trying to tease Stiles.

“Because he’s my friend, and I have to help him!” Stiles mumbles feeling his ears burning with anger.

“ _Have_ … funny word… you say it as if he was your responsibility, you know? It doesn’t matter how much you try when the people you love is gone there is no one who can replace them neither is a way to change what is done”

 _He’s talking about mom,_ Stiles’ cheeks burn, he’s furious, shit!

“Yeah? Then I don’t know why you got married then…  I wonder something, did the possibilities say that Marin’s mom would make you forget my mother?” Stiles shots back, he can’t mess with his head he isn’t doing this because of his mom, he’s doing it because of Scott, Scott is his friend is a total different thing, he can’t lose Scott but no because he lost his mom! He can’t lose him because he’s his friend, and friends help each other no matter what.

“You and that boy… the time will come when you both will see each other as enemies, but of course that’s only of the potential scenarios, it will be funny to see if you still stay by his side then” Dr. D snorts “I hope I’d be around to see it”

What is he talking about? He didn’t get anything.

“Anyway there is no time” Adds stepping next to Stiles. “Down town, in the park is a greenhouse I need you to pick the shadow of the flower”

“Which flower? Shadow? How in the hell am I going to get only a shadow?”

This is so confusing.

“An orchid, it is known as the queen of flowers in South-America, this particular species won’t be hard to recognize when you see it you’ll get why”

There is again the condescending smirk, Jesus!

“Ok, I need to find an orchid in a greenhouse inside the park, ok isn’t that bad! I thought you were sending me kill a monster or something” Stiles chuckles.

“No, you wouldn’t last against the flower’s guardian, that’s why I’m asking you only the shadow” Dr. D smiles devilishly.

What did he just say?

“Relax he won’t show up, unless you touch the flower”

Stiles nods and shoves his hands in his pockets, hell! This is starting to get scary.

“Another thing” Dr. D stops him. “You won’t be able to see it from this side”

Another random supernatural shit! Exactly he was waiting for.

“The lighter I gave you” The man points out.

Stiles puzzled stares at his left hand, he forgot he was holding it, yeah he said something before about darken a candle.

“Step two paces away from the light” The man orders.

Stiles saunters to his left, stepping between the light and the table where the candle awaits.

“Now try to light the candle” Commands.

Stiles turns on his…

“No!” Doctor D. Stops him.

“You really need one of this” Says taking a book from a drawer and showing it to him. “Listen I want you to stay parallel to the wall, I don’t want you to actually light the candle but to darken it”

“I don’t get it!” Stiles says frustrated.

“Stay right there, facing the pillar… well done, know reach your right hand holding the lighter”

Stiles still facing the pillar rises his hand with the lighter slowly cranes his neck toward the table at his right, there is the candle and behind is his shadow portrayed in the wall…darken…a…candle, something clicks inside his mind, it sounds odd almost too weird, but let’s face it, after seeing your best friend turning into a frigging monster over and over and a beating heart sprouting yellow slime-like blood over what remains of a ribcage, this doesn’t sound so weird after all.

Stiles rises his hand again and his shadow does too, but this one’s is overlaid by the candle’s, he spins the lighter’s wheel, instantly his fingers feel the warm touch of the flame just inches ahead, while his hand aims toward the pillar but the shadow of the lighter has above a gauzy shape like a plume that flickers as the flame on Stiles hand’s, he moves his arm forward in the air, and his shadow does too, and then the plume touches the candle’s wick and it lights on or darks off? Holy...

“How… in the” Stiles stars but Dr. D beckons him to remain silent.

“You’re about to get in the Atrum, it is the shadow of this world, there are three different levels, the umbra, penumbra and the antumbra, there are four different ways to get in, you’re about to use the most common of all of them, when you’re in there the people in this side will only be able to see your shadow so you must be careful to not scare anyone”

“My shadow?” Stiles says thrilled, “It’s like a parallel world hidden within this?”

“No, as I said is the shadow of this world, you’re getting through the penumbra, it’s the side of the Atrum that is deeply connected to this world, they are bound to each other in dawn and the link fades in twilight, you must be careful to not let the candle to completely burn or else you will be trapped in there”

Stiles tilts his head and stares at the physical candle in the table, the wick is still and unlit, yet… there is wax streaming down the surface of the cylinder, it is unbelievable and shocking…. It is amazing!

“When you’re ready to come back to this side all you need to do is light the real candle and the shadows will be casted away, understood?” Doctor Deaton finishes and stares at him sternly.

Stiles nods a little dazed, it is too much information to handle.

“Go then” Doctor Deaton hurries him.

“How?” Stiles asks arching a brow.

“Burn your shadow with the candle” The man explains with some sneer that made Stiles’ question look like the silliest in the world.    

Hesitantly Stiles rises his hand watching his shadow imitate him, slowly reaches the top of the flickering shadow-flame and touches it with the tip of his middle finger.

“I’ll take care of Derek while you’re gone, hurry up” The man urges him again.  

A chill spreads through his body and he feels a sudden urgency to throw up, his head spins and his ears pop, the world sways in zigzag for a couple of seconds and the it suddenly stops. Stiles blinks the blurriness away from his eyes and looks around, and his head spins again, he can totally get it, he feels like being in two places at the same time, as if one of his eyes staid in his body and the other is attached to the wall, he is still on Dr. D’s basement but at the same time in a quite different place, is like looking to a picture’s negative, there are only shadows around yet Stiles is able to get a glimpse of every single detail including the light’s bulb now emanating pure darkness or Dr. D’s dark shape and Derek’s on the table, they are not flat shadows as he probably is right now but yet there are no eyes or mouth it is all black, it is scary and amazing at the same time, is like being able to see in the darkness perfectly. 

Stiles steps ahead tentatively, and he don’t falls, good! He can do this! Approaches the table where a black candle awaits in its holder, the wax streaming down as gloomy tears, he takes the holder and looks back and there is a sound, an annoying muffled sound behind him, but he can recognize it though he feels like hearing a song backward and then he realizes that it must be Dr. D trying to tell him something, god! What could he have forgot to say? Whatever it is he better texts it to him, wait a second… Does his phone get signal in this shadow world?

…….

Allison wedges below the broken door, being careful to cut her nape with the shattered crystals. When she steps in, the wind burst inside in a whistle that gives her Goosebumps, she’s inside a large unlit room, all she can see is darkness, she lights up her cellphone’s flashlight and looks around, at her left there is an small desk with a computer, more wind comes in and lots of documents fly around scattering on the floor. She walks ahead her footsteps echoing, making her feel uneasy, she’s tempted to scoot back, to get home in her warm bed and forget the whole thing but she can’t she knows she can’t do it, she won’t rest until she finds out if that man’s words are true and Derek…

She shakes her hand, it can’t be true….it just can’t! If her mom was murdered by Derek her dad would have killed him earlier, right after coming back in town, or even the night he brought her home, her dad wouldn’t wait, no one would have waited to put an end to all this mess.

She saunters around the shelves, there are rows and rows of them, the wood of what they are made is black and polished, the air smells like rotten wood and dust, she suddenly feels like being in a church, like if she just broke in a holy place, it is disturbing and scaring. There are books everywhere, in every corner in every stand and every wall, even in the upper floor she can see tons of them, she recalls the times when she used to get in the libraries to take some books with her to home and read, read lots of stories, she had to learn to read fast when she was younger because they never staid longer than a couple of months in a single place, it was a long search for a new home, no she understands that actually was more like runaway from everything.

In the far end of the room are computers, at least thirty desks with computers over them, there are many websites that offer newspaper’s archives in their database but let’s face it, Beacon Hills isn’t the most famous town in the country and she doubts she might find what she’s looking for on them, so it seemed like a better idea to come here first, she’s tired of blind search and trial and error, she wants answers and want them now!

She addresses the desks, in a corner attached to the wall there are three bleached computers that seen pretty old, those must be the ones with archive, hesitantly she sits in the first’s chair and turns on the screen.

…….

Being in the shadow of the world is like being trapped in a dream, Stiles can’t stop feeling like waking up and drifting away instantly, air isn’t hot or cold in here, the ground is black and the sky white, as he said before is like living inside a picture’s negative. In his right hand he carries the black candle which is lit and darkens everything around with its bizarre black energy.

Maybe it’s just his imagination but he feels like the streets are longer and narrower in this side, the houses and buildings are all black from outside as if he were watching only their shadows, it is overwhelming and beautiful, in a gothic and scaring way. He keeps walking down the avenue, god! He will take him forever to get to the park, but he can’t use his jeep, there are some human like shadows starting to get out of houses and buildings, the town is waking up and people would freak out if they get sigh of a self-driving car in the streets with a shadow of a teenager on its wake.

There are certain things that he have been avoiding to think but now that the euphoria has vanished he can’t stop thinking about them, like… Who is Dr. D? How’s that he knows this much about Derek and Stiles and Scott? And all the creepy things he said earlier that Scott and him will become enemies or all that mojo thing about knowing that they were coming over. There is a lot Stiles doesn’t understand and the more he thinks about it more questions come like… Is he a binder? Like Deaton? If he is then…. Were his parent’s too? What is a Binder anyway? Did her mom knew all this would happen? No… it wouldn’t make sense, what about his dad? He’s still alive, and they are back in town in the exact same week in which all began.

But of course it wouldn’t make sense, his dad definitely doesn’t know anything about binders and werewolves, or else he would have believed in Stiles when he said that Doctor D. Shoved him from the cliff to not mention the fact that he thought Stiles was crazy or that just left to visit his parents in a full moon’s eve.

Now Allison in other hand… her dad is a hunter, that’s what Doctor D said, and you don’t need to be a genius to know what it means, he knows about all this stuffs which is startling Stiles couldn’t even react when Deaton told him it is just too much information, suddenly the whole town knows about all the shit that has been going on the past three months and everyone seems like playing a part in this mess, and speaking of messes…. Derek killed Allison’s mom, Stiles isn’t sure why it bugs him so much, Derek is annoying and moody and hates everything and everyone but he can’t see him like a murderer, is like trying to picture in his mind a totally different person with the same grumpy cat face.

So there must be an explanation why he murdered Mrs. Argent, if Allison’s father is a hunter then his wife was too, maybe they tried to kill Derek and he fought back… why he cares anyway? It is none of his business though he can’t help feeling pity for Allison does she knows? When her mom died anyway? There are so many things he hadn’t ask her, but how? They never have time for talk, there always something in the middle, like being chased by fanged friends or saving douches’ lives, but something is definitely certain, Allison doesn’t know about werewolves and how her mom died, she said Derek was nice after all, so whatever her dad is into she doesn’t know anything about it, now… should Stiles tell her everything?

Stiles calculates forty minutes since he came out of Dr. D’s place thought he’s not sure, because his watch and cellphone both froze, at least he finally reached the park so he is in good time, at the end of the street he gets sight of the walkway and the benches before the black trees. It starts snowing when he steps inside the park, the snowflakes slowly fall, they are grey almost fully dark like coal, the sight of them against the clear white sky is depressing and astonishing, if he could bring a camera in here, though he doubts it works considering that it would try to capture the reality casted by a shadow maybe it would make a beautiful….something.

The green house in the center of the park, Stiles hadn’t see it before, so maybe in only exist in this site, it would explain why it is the only thing in the shadow world with color besides Stiles himself, it is an small structure with crystal walls and wooden door, he gets in, there are two long rows of planters packed with dead flowers from all species, there are a rotting reek in the air that makes him shiver, he feels like walking in a graveyard, he’s about to ask himself how in the hell he will know which flower he is looking for when he see it. At the end of the room in a single pot is a shining thing not shining but flaring and not thing but… a bud, with long yellow petals and a pink core, Stiles sprints toward it and then recalls what Dr. D said about a guarding and stops short. The man said something about getting the flower’s shadow, he just needs to find it and take it with him, as he expects there is no shadow itself but a fume-like shape below and slowly dances, as Stiles approaches closer it starts feeling a warn in his chest, a sweet scent intoxicates him in seconds and an urgency to crack in laughs of joy takes him over.

He shakes his head and looks around, there is no music he must have been imagining it, slowly wedges his hand below the bud and feel how the fumes lick his hand, tickling him, he curls his fingers around the petals and tugs it out, there is a short and high pitched screech right in his ears but maybe he just his imagination again, he looks at his candle, it is half burnt, he better hurry ups to come back, he’s not sure if he can light it on now or maybe the flower’s shadow will fade if he doesn’t get it with Dr. D first, so he rather to come back first.

He gets out of the greenhouse and starts darting back to Dr. D’s house, there is something seriously wrong happening with the candle the Binder gave him, it is burning too fast, he’s sure it hadn’t left for so long, or at least it what he thinks until he looks up and finds the sky slowly darkening, the sun is rising –how ironic- Deaton said he could keep Derek alive for two hours or so, but if the sun is rising already…. Shit! Stiles strides away from the park and gets in the avenue, there are cars already driving down the street and a couple of people walking by the walkway, so he must get out of here, if someone sees him they will definitely call the Ghostbusters or something like that, he needs a place with many shadows, so he quickly flinches from their sight and takes the first corner he finds, he’s near the grocery story so… yes! As he thought there are more people walking down the streets which means it is already dawn, the time must move quicker in here, he blends into the crowd of shadows making sure to not stumble with any of them he’s not sure if he can touch them but he doesn’t want to find out, he starts running down the street, he must be quicker, Derek will die if he doesn’t hurry up! His lungs burn as he strides faster and faster, his forehead gets damp within minutes, the world around spins in long strands of black and white and green… green?

Stiles stops short and cranes his neck to his left, outside the entrance of a building is a man sitting in the steps, not a bulgy dark shape like the rest of the shadows but a fully human being, has a long beard to his chest, wears a dirty green shirt with squares and bleached blue jeans, his grey eyes are fixed in the nothingness while his lips move at high speed thought no sound comes out of them, what is this man doing here?

Stiles scoots a couple of steps and stares at him, the eyes of the man don’t move at all, boy reaches up his hand and swings it both way in front of him, is he blind?

 Then suddenly the man sneezes.

“Cheers” Stiles says automatically which is stupid because apparently the man is in a state of…

The man lets out a high pitched yelp and jumps on his place, his eyes are now fixed on Stiles, Stiles stuns and stares at the man right back in his eyes, but they are no longer there, his whole body is darkening being sucked by the blackness until he turns into a black shape like the rest, the rest of the shadows suddenly stumble and dark heads look around confused, there are muffled moans and screams and the man’s shadow looks in all directions as disoriented and then strides away from them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Doctor D’s voice says angrily behind him.

“I…I don’t know…. I just saw him and… Who was him? A ghost?” Stiles asks puzzled and shocked to see Dr. D in there. “Wait! Is Derek…?”

Deaton shakes his head and relief washes over Stiles, relief? Oh god!

“I was concerned you might get lost in your home town” Dr. D replies with sarcasm.

“It isn’t my fault that the time in here moves faster” The boy says irritably.

“I’m sorry… we better get going” The man says sternly and beckons Stiles to follow him.

“So what was that guy?” Stiles asks as they walk down the street.

“A human” Dr. D explains dryly.

“Then why…?” Stiles starts but Deaton interrupts him.

“As I told you there different levels and ways to get in here, wiccans used to come here making a circle of candles during solar eclipses to gather herbs, thought it was pretty dangerous considering that eclipses lasted only a couple of minutes and they had to be back by then or else would be trapped in penumbra until the next eclipse, and eventually end in the umbra as that man you just saw”

“So… that man was going to die?” Stiles says getting Goosebumps to just the thought of it.   

“Worse” Dr. D snorts.

“Worse? What can be worse than dying?” Stiles asks frowning.

Deaton Chuckles and Stiles reddens. “Can you imagine a world where everybody hates you? Where you are less than garbage? Where even your family despise you?”

“Are you telling me that…?” Stiles starts.

“Now… imagine a world where you’re a nothing… where you are no one, when people don’t notice you exist neither care, a world where there is nothing for you not even love or hate” The man explains slowly.

Stiles tries to picture the idea in his head to get what he’s saying.  

“Who you think would be the luckiest?”  Dr. D asks wryly.

“That’s what happened to him? He was no one?” Stiles says shocked.

“He was someone…once” Dr. D smiles with sadness. “Three months ago he got ill…” Begins the doctor.

“Ill? What did he have?”  

“He got the flu”

“The flu? The flu can bring you here?” Stiles says shocked.

Dr. D shakes his head. Ok he’s officially lost.

“He was a man with a job, a marriage a life…this changed few months ago, his wife left him for another man, at his work they barely noticed his performance he was practically dispensable for the company, weeks after his wife left with the kids the checks stopped coming, then he got sick and he always sneezed…you know why people say cheers?”

Stiles shakes his head.

“Is a way to wish good health to others… if many people wishes you good health their determination is what will make you heal” The man smirks sadly.

_Jesus!_

“That’s why famous people often survive to chronic diseases, the love and the goodwill what keeps up safe, but when you don’t have anyone who cares or recognizes your existence, well…”

“You end up here?” Stiles says astonished.

“Yes and no” Doctor D corrects him.  

“As I said, there are four ways to get in here, the first one was the used by the wiccans to gather herbs, nowadays is used by terrorists to smuggle it is known as the black market, the second is the new version of that ritual which is the one we just used, the third way isn’t actually coming in but stay in contact through a Ouija table, people can contact the others on this side which is useful when you’re trapped in here, or in my case to scare teenagers, the last one is the one that man used to come here, leaving everything behind, believing that no one knows you exist until you really don’t”

“But I don’t get it…. I could see him” Stiles says with frustration.

“Of course you could, he was in his last state before getting in the umbra when you actually believe you don’t exist… he couldn’t see you because he thought he wasn’t real he was already fading until you committed that foolishness” Replies the man harshly.   

“I didn’t do anything stupid I was just curious about him that’s all and he is back in the real world is a good thing!” Stiles says hopeful.

“Isn’t a good thing at all, you shouldn’t intervene in things that aren’t your business have you ever heard of something called the butterfly effect?”

“How can you know so much about him and don’t do anything to help him?” Stiles grunts chewing his bottom lip.

“He was my friend, he did this to himself by neglecting his marriage, for putting his work before everything even his health, it was the price he had to pay for the choices he made”

“He has a second chance now!” Stiles says defiantly.

Dr. D suddenly stops and looks at him with wide eyes and the continues his walk.

“What is inside the umbra anyway?” Stiles chances the subject, the guy is safe he doesn’t want Dr. D to change his mind in saving Derek or worse to, light off his candle and trap him here forever.

“Nothing” Dr. D says sternly his eyes fixed on the street.

“How nothing?” Stiles says overwhelmed.

“Nothing is what awaits for those who’re trapped being nothing itself… you don’t die because you don’t exist”

A shiver runs down Stile’s spine.

“Fade away and not be remembered, no one missing you, or crying for you not even thinking about who you were and the things you did…just… nothing…vanish without leaving your mark in the world, is a fate worse than death don’t you think?”

…….

She has been reading the whole paragraph over and over, her cheeks are sticky with all those tears and her eyes are so swollen that is hard for her to read, yet she keeps doing it, there must be another explanation, another way she’s missing a word, something that suddenly changes all the meaning of the story into a car accident, but there is no mistaking, the words _dismembered_ and _forensic_ makes her gag, makes her want to scream, to cry loudly and kick the screen, she knows her mom died twelve years ago but it hurts! It hurts so much! She doesn’t remember much about her now but it is killing her inside, the truth is so painful, so horrifying. According to the newspaper her mom was murdered by an unidentified animal, her body was found _dismembered_ in the woods and the forensics examinations would give more details about it, such details must be in more recent newspapers for sure, but… is she strong enough to dig further? Her dad lied! Lied to her about everything… every single detail of her life is a lie! Lie! Lie! Lie! Lie! Derek killed her mom! That son of the bitch is the reason she doesn’t have a mother… And Stiles is helping him is trying to save his life right now! She hopes he dies…No! She hopes he doesn’t die! She wants him to live… so she can kill him herself. 


	12. THE SEVENTH WOLF

XII

THE SEVENTH WOLF 

 

She is frozen in time, her hands scroll down the olds newspaper’s pages plastered in the computer screen, she’s not alone anymore, she’s been visited in that empty and dark library by realization and sadness, both sinking in her chest haunting her as ghosts, she feels lost, her heart got broken so many times in the last months that she doubts she has a heart anymore, she can’t trust no one, Derek who seemed to be a good guy was a werewolf, and not just a werewolf but the cold blooded creature that murdered her mom, Stiles who supposed to be her best friend, has been hiding his powers from her and the fact the knows about the existence of werewolves and plus he’s helping save Derek’s life right now, to not mention that, that man told him the truth about her dad. 

She can’t trust her dad, she can’t trust in any of his words, it’s like waking up from a long dream, or worse, to be born again but retaining memories from another life, she’s not Allison Argent anymore, she’s not any of the girls in the passports, she’s not her dad’s girl or a normal teenager, that’s is the biggest of problems, she’s broken she can’t tell who she is or were she belongs, she’s scared if she takes her hand mirror from her pocket right now she won’t recognize the person staring from the other side because nothing in her was ever real, everything was a prefabricated lie, something planned to keep her eyes closed her whole life, and now she knows the truth and everything about her lost it sense, how to walk? How to feel breath? What is the proper way to feel? She doesn’t know because she has always been what her father wanted her to be and now she doesn’t know who she is or who she will become the only thing that matters now is that Derek is out there alive, healing when he should be slowly dying in her hands. 

Now she misses Scott, misses him more than ever and can’t fight back the tears she wants to sink her face in his chest, she wants to rely on him and tell him how screwed things are, how lost she feels and why she has to do what she has to do, she needs to hear his deep voice and stare at his crystalline amber eyes, she can’t believe it is over and it is because of her dad, he threatened Scott or something to stay away from her because he goddamn bastard who can’t accept the idea of not controlling her life as he has been doing the last sixteen years, lying her about her mother’s death, taking her all over the country and the world without asking her if she wanted to go, hiding from her who he really was and what she’s capable of. About what else he lied? Was her mom a nice person of was it fake too? She has cloudy memories about her and in them her mom was a lovely lady with long hair, sparkly eyes and a beautiful smile but maybe… just maybe those memories aren’t real and they are just what her dad wanted her to believe, she wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be true, but it doesn’t matter she doesn’t have a mother and would never know what kind of mother she would have been for her and everything is Derek’s and he’s going to pay for it. 

…….

Walking back to Dr. D’s place seemed to be faster than running, because in seconds Stiles is getting in through the front door and climbing down the stairs to get in the basement, when they are inside Dr. D lights on Stiles’ candle and then his, Stiles flickers and the world starts to get colorful and illuminated, at his right is the table where Derek lays and next to him is…

“Marin” Stiles says startled. 

“Why are you so shocked? I live here” The girl grins. 

“Is he dead already?” Dr. D asks sternly. 

“Not yet” The girl replies indifferent. 

The man beckons Stiles to give him the flower and when he rises his hand to deliver it he notices that the shadow of the flower changed, now it is full of color and light and it’s larger and bulgier than Stiles recall thought it is still a bud. Deaton takes it in his hand and examines it closely. 

“How the shadow turned into the real flower?” Stiles frowns. 

“You moved its shadow, to get a shadow moving its body must do it too” Marin explains self-sufficiently. 

Stiles frowns, that doesn’t make any sense, right? 

“Can I ask you something?” Stiles asks her.

She winks at him, that must mean yes, yet she doesn’t let him talk, “I wanted to tell you what was going on that night but I couldn’t” She apologizes. 

“Can you read minds?” Stiles says shocked, how did she knew he was going to ask her that?

“No, but it seems like she has been touching my things” Her father says dryly as he takes the bud with both hands and places it over Derek’s almost motionless chest, then he takes some herbs from the boxes and surrounds the orchid with them.

“Relax, you already knew it” She snorts 

Stiles grins. 

“Anyway, he wouldn’t let me tell you but I wanted to help you I really did” 

“Even when I explicitly forbid it to you” The man grunts snapping his fingers. 

A sweet sounds starts felling the air, what the hell he just did? He just snapped his fingers and some music started sounding, it is warm and feels salty… how can music have taste? It has loud drums and feels ancient and powerful, it is dark and scary, overwhelming and amazingly sticky, voices tons of them chant at the same time words stiles can’t understand in a language that seems like an odd version of Spanish with a peculiar accent. 

“What did you do?” Stiles asks openmouthed. 

“Didn’t I tell you that this kind of orchid is known as the queen of flowers in South-America?” Doctor D. replies with some sarcasm in his voice. 

“Yeah but…” 

“It’s what binders call cycles, the paleros are a variation of African’s voodoo, they gather in the beaches on certain dates and dance barefooted to the sound of this music in the sand, is their way of knowledge, it’s pretty powerful and dangerous, dark things hide behind every movement so I recommend you to not try to dance it” Marin explains with a grin. 

“What does have to do with the flower?” Stiles says puzzled. 

“They believe the orchid came from the spirits lands, it has strong qualities, which are effective to any kind of poisons because it is the queen of flowers after all” 

Stiles stares amazed at the bud as it slowly starts opening up, growing in light and size it is almost imperceptible but it is twice larger than when he got it, and now its petals start to curl back to let sight of its core. 

“Orchid are parasites, that’s the real reason why it is able to neutralize the poison on his veins, this chanting is used by the paleros to make believe the flower that she is in feeding from a fertile host so she starts sucking out the venom, she feeds from it and cleans the body in the process, Derek’s body will do the rest” Doctor D. points out motioning them to follow him upstairs.   

…….

The sun is rising up, illuminating the room, he has to squint to protect his eyes, as the yellow rays fill everything and clear up his vision something starts flaring up in his chest, something burns and aches at the same time, he has been fighting for so long against it, this feelings, this thirst, Stiles left him chained up to this pole with silver, his arms ache and his body feels week, craving for food, is he going to come? What is he going to do if he’s hungry? Somewhere outside they are looking for him, trying to catch his scent to kill him, he should have died, he should have, it would have been easier, that missing girl, was it really him? Why Stiles never gives up on him? Why is he doing all this? Why he keeps putting his life at risk for him? After everything he has done and said why? Scott is so angry, Stiles is so stupid, is just a stupid boy who thinks can fix him as if he were broken… he’s not broken he’s strong and dangerous and he should know it already but if he doesn’t… then….

Scott shakes his head. 

What? Was that? ]

He shrugs, he was… he was thinking about killing Stiles, he was really thinking about, how can he be so heartless? After everything his friend has done for him, Scott needs to calm down, he needs to breathe and think…. HE NEEDS TO BE FREE… No! He needs to calm down…. AND BE OUT! HE NEEDS TO FIND THEM… HE NEEDS TO GET THEM! 

He shakes his head again, tears climbing to his eyes, what is happening? What is happening to him? Why he had to become a monster? He doesn’t hate anyone…he is good… he is a good boy…GET THEM!... He doesn’t have the best grades but he is good, he helps his mom at home and do homework, and laundry, and is good at people… OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! NO!

Stiles said…. He said he was a hero, the only thing he needed to do was…

“Think as a hero, think as a hero, think as a hero, think as a hero” He says over and over to himself, hoping to shut the inner voice in the back of his head. 

…….

Doctor D. offers Stiles a mug of steaming coffee as he sits next to Marin in the table, Stiles takes it with both hand and takes a long sip, he’s not used to drink coffee so the bitter taste almost makes him gag, but he needs it, he has to stay awake, today is going to be a long day he feel it in his bones, the full moon, Erica, Isaac and Vernon hunting Scott, Derek unconscious… this isn’t good, not good at all he can’t afford to drift away, he can’t help thinking about the flower it is so beautiful and powerful, if it wasn’t for that flower Derek would be death, a shiver runs down his spine. 

“How lucky that there was a light orchid in the town” Stiles says sheepishly trying to break the ice. 

Marin Snorts “It wasn’t lucky, it was planted there for…” 

“Marin…” Her father threatens. 

“For Derek” She says with a devilish grin. 

“For Derek?” Stiles repeats astonished, “How’s that possible?” 

“My dad planted it in there when he was a teen so Derek could be saved, that flower has been waiting thirty years to serve its purpose” 

“That’s enough Marin” Her dad yells angrily. 

“Why?” She shots back, “You know they will find out the truths today” 

Truths? What truths? What is she talking about? 

“We don’t get involved… I told you!” Her dad replies angrily. 

“Don’t we? Then how’s that you shoved him from the cliff? I made out all the suicide attempt?” 

“It’s different, it was meant to….” Her dad starts. 

“No, it isn’t, you’re just trying to justify yourself for saving his ass because you’re still in love with his mom” The girl says despitefully. 

“Marin” Dr. D starts with a hurtful voice. 

“Hello… I’m here, and if you hadn’t notice I’m the subject of your conversation so it’s kind of rude being unable to get anything” Stiles says reddening. 

“We don’t mess with wolves and they don’t mess with us” Deaton says dryly beckoning Marin to sit back on her place, and the he sighs and calms down. 

“Ok, what do you want to know?” Says with a tiresome stare fixed on Stiles. 

The boy hesitates a second, he’s agreeing to answers his questions! GOOD! He finally is going to get what the hell is going on in here, but there is a problem he has so many question in his head right now that he’s not sure for where start, he’s puzzled and dazed, too much information still needs to be processed and he’s about to get even more and now he can’t think about what to ask, his mind suddenly went blank, as if he was the one being interrogated, and before he has time to stop himself his mouth has already asked a question that has been poking the back of his mind the last two hours. 

“How… how… Allison’s mom died?” Stiles hears himself say, it is stupid he knows it… but… did Derek…? 

Doctor D looks around scratching his nose. 

“It’s a long and complicated story” He starts. 

Stiles shifts on his seat getting ready for it. 

 “When we were freshmen we were all good friends, especially Victoria and Thalia, they couldn’t be apart, they did everything together, like…” 

“Scott and I?” Stiles asks smirking. 

“That’s right” Doctor D replies with a warm smile on his face as if he were recalling something especially funny. “They were the closest friends, so when Thalia told Victoria they couldn’t be friends things got messy, your dad and I were worried about Victoria, Thalia stopped eating with us, Victoria lost her project’s mate and everyone started making out stories about Thalia and why she suddenly became so quiet and lonely, she never spoke to anyone and now she was always alone, she seemed pretty sad, no one understood what was going on” 

When Dr. D makes his pause Stiles thinks about the times Scott and him stopped talking each other, how lonely and sad he felt just like a recently happened, after all the things Scott said and how he treated Stiles, it’s not cool to lose that other half that makes everything better. 

“A month later a new girl came School, her name was Claudia” 

Stiles giggles uneasy thinking about his mom. 

“She was so beauti…” 

“Hey” Stiles warns him. 

“Sorry” Doctor says with a grin, “Anyway, your dad and I started a personal war to get a chance to date her, which was pretty unfair considering he was on the team and I was a dork” He chuckles. 

Stiles chuckles too trying to imagine his dad wearing the Lacrosse’s team uniform. 

“One day we got an school project, I can’t remember about what right now, but by then we hadn’t internet or computers of course so we went into library, I picked Victoria as my team mate, she was having a hard time with Thalia’s sudden change, it was hard to come through lunch at school without hearing her laughs so I wanted to help I was a little hurt because Thalia didn’t speak to any of us but was especially concerned about Victoria, so we went all together, even Thalia was there thought she didn’t speak to any of us so we tried to not come near her, Victoria and I were looking for some books for hour research when it happened, a book fell from its shelf, we both exchanged looks, it didn’t make any sense we were alone in that alley, and there was nothing behind the shelf so no one could possibly shove it from the other side, we looked at it, it seemed pretty old and rusty and it had some weird runes carved in an bright material on its cover, we put back on its place and kept walking” 

Stiles tries to think about what book he might refer it definitely must be the one he showed him hours ago, what is so special about that book? 

“When we were paces away we heard the loud thud in our backs, when we looked back the book was again on the floor, puzzled we came back and took the book I opened and another one fell from the shelf at our backs, Victoria took it, it was the same book” 

_What the hell?_

“We took the books with us, it was the first time that odd things happened to us, a couples of days before Thalia and Victoria stopped talking, we were at chemistry and ours Bunsen burners went out of control and we almost burned the lab, thought they couldn’t explained what happened Victoria and I knew that it had something to do with us, because as I said it wasn’t the first time that things like this happened” 

Now Stiles can’t stop thinking about the spark he feels when he’s with Allison, maybe he should ask him but he doesn’t want to interrupt him, things are getting pretty interesting. 

“That night, I read part of the book and couldn’t help laughing it was supposed to be a manual or something? Actually it was more like a text book for a school, but the weirdest kind… weeks later another boy came into a school, an arrogant boy named Christopher Argent, the same day he got in the school all the girls were drooling about him, and it matter of days things started to get weirder, Victoria and I experimented more episodes or weirdness and some people disappeared in the town, eventually we found out that Chris wasn’t normal and that whatever was him, we were like him, that’s when they showed up the STCU or Supernatural Threats Control Unit, a government secret agency, Bathilde was in charge in this side of the country a moody woman but very intelligent, they told us about the books and how they found us, the government puts the books in the libraries, the books has an alarm casted on them, it reacts to people’s will, when it is over the standard values the book jumps out of its shelf calling whoever found it to take a look, then when they take the book out of the library the person’s data is sent to the STCU by the librarian and they look for them, they train them for years and when they are done they work for the agency” 

“So you work for them?” Stiles says amazed. 

Deaton shakes his head. 

“We couldn’t reject the offer it seemed so amazing, Bathilde made out a fake community volunteer job after School and we started our training, we came into an abandoned store back door to get into the training academy which actually was thousands of miles away from here” 

“Oh god! Hogwarts is real?” Stiles says gaping. 

Doctor D. Rolls his eyes.

“Chris was a prodigy he was a went through all the weaponry skills stages without issues, thought wasn’t as good as me in Beats and Breathings, after two months of training we found out the truth about Thalia, Victoria and I talked about confronting Thalia, we weren’t still learning about creatures but we knew werewolves were bad news for the STCU and the academy so they couldn’t know that we knew about the existence of werewolves in the town, sadly Chris noticed things too and told a couple of guys in the academy and they followed us back in town and followed Thalia the whole day after school until she was alone, they wanted to prove how strong they were for murdering a poor outcast girl, Victoria and I found out and step in the middle of the fight, one of the guys ended hurt by his own foolishness but we saved Thalia, and her parents heard about it, and thanked us and let Thalia and Victoria be friends again” 

Doctor D makes a pause to take a sip of coffee.  

“Wow so you were badass” Stiles says shocked, how cool! 

“Yeah I never felt so proud of myself, thought we got some serious problems because those morons told Bathilde about Thalia and she decided to come to the town, do you know those Victorian houses in the middle of the town?” 

“The abandoned?” Stiles frowns, recalling the story they say about them. 

“They aren’t abandoned, they built them that time and it seemed like no one lived in there ever, but Bathilde and an small army awaited there in case things went out of control with the werewolves, she could make a call to the others and she would have on command an army of a thousand just trained teenagers ready to kill” 

“Wai…wait… the STCU are all kids?” Stiles says shocked. 

“They shouldn’t, but it is a risky life, so if you live to see your thirty five birthday you get out of field and join the academy training the future agents and only participating in contingency circumstances” 

_Damn_

“Anyway, after Thalia parents met us they apologized for forcing Thalia to not talk to us, but they could smell our will, they knew we were going to be called and were afraid that it might hurt Thalia, but it turned out to be quite the opposite, Bathilde met Thalia’s parents too and they sorted out the things, it is true that Binders and wolves are natural enemies, according to the STCU laws if there aren’t any crime actions can’t be take, and by then Bathilde followed orders so she couldn’t do anything about it” 

“We got in all kind of troubles those years, it was the best season of my life” Says the man with longing. 

Marin punches him in the arm. 

“Except of course for being a single parent of a rude girl” Chuckles rubbing his arm. 

The man clears his throat and the joy disappears from his eyes. 

“The years came and gone and things changed, with time I realized how dangerous Bathilde was, they knew that the faces in the wind had an special likeness for me, they encouraged me to follow them to learn more about the things that might come and offered me a job in the council and I refused, by them I was afraid of what I was capable of, Chris said I was being stupid for rejecting my future and lose my chance, they didn’t try to insist they knew how strong my sight was and I was going to see them coming after me eventually. Chris and Victoria took their jobs, he was a Hunter and she worked in the council as a healer, through years her friendship with the Hale family grew stronger, we all were part of a new era, a meeting point between humankind and the shifters, the werewolves are respected among many others species and Victoria as an idealist she believed that someday we could all live in peace” 

“Wow” Stiles mutters picturing Allison’s mother as a Greenpeace founder or something likely. 

“Her movement became stronger and bigger she actually started traveling with Chris around world, meeting with pack leaders from all places, at first he was reluctant about it, he considered the shifters and others creatures inferior to humans, but with some time his heart started to soften thanks to her, he went into collage to get his degree in architecture thought his family was rich so he didn’t have any issues with money, they had everything and were really happy” The man says with sorrow on his voice. 

A cold feeling stings Stiles’ chest, how could he speaking with such sadness about the happiness of that family? It is simple the answer is lying on a table in the basement. 

“In other hand, after high school Thalia had to face her fate, her parents were old and was her time rule in the….” 

“Wait a second, what do you mean with Rule? Rule like in royalty? Like a queen?” Stiles asks puzzled. 

“Derek’s family are direct descendants of Fenrir, also known as the first werewolf, among wolves they are like royalty, history runs down in his veins therefore all werewolves bend their knees to them, it doesn’t matter from which pack they come, they believe in the capacity and goodwill of the Hales and many used to come here to meet them and ask advises and help in hard times. Well continuing with the story Thalia had to face her fate, she had to mate a young wolf from another Branch of the Fenrir’s descendants, it was like an arranged marriage in the human world, it was hard in the beginning for Thalia to accept him but after a couple of months she accepted her destiny, actually she embraced it, in matter of months she was pregnant” 

“Derek” Stiles with harsh voice. 

“No. it wasn’t Derek” Doctor corrects him. “They were three, I don’t remember their names now but they were strong and young werewolves, they grew up quickly actually is funny because Thalia went pregnant months ago, by the end of the year they had four kids” 

“She gave birth two times in a year?” Stiles asks openmouthed. 

“Werewolves’ pregnancy isn’t like humans, in only takes three months for a werewolf to be born which was complicated because she couldn’t go with a doctor to get an ultrasound, the only person she could trust was me and I did my best to make sure that the babies and she were fine” 

Stiles is amazed, wow it wouldn’t have imagined that, three months? Three motherfucker’s months? He doesn’t care what Derek has to say about it, they are like dogs! 

“There was concern about the line of succession so the elders gathered to smell the winds to come, they couldn’t understand or didn’t want to understand what they saw, but when they came back there was only one thing in which they all agreed, Thalia’s all seven sons should take the power when the time was right, they would be a small circle were all of them should have the same duties and privileges” 

“All seven? But you just said they were just four” Stiles says puzzled. 

“That’s right, but the elders already saw the possibilities they knew about some irregular situations that were taking place in all the world, many agents and wolves got missing, slaughters and innocent people were dying, the fire would spread and decisions had to be made. The word about Thalia’s fifth pregnancy put an alert on the world, born werewolves are used to have large families of ten or so but the elders advice leaked and spread, thousands and thousands of wolves came to bring presents for the child and his older brothers even some other races including human Binders joined, Bathilde among them, I remember her smile while she said how pleased she was to see the Hale family growing so fast and how she couldn’t wait to meet Thalia’s eighth son, it seemed like an innocent speech, but I knew it was a threat” 

“A threat? Why?” Stiles asks frowning, he’s not getting it, why was it so important that Thalia Hale had seven children? 

 “Because she thought that if werewolves had seven pure blood leaders it would meant the fall of the human race” Deaton says sternly. 

Stiles stares at Marin she seems so focused on the story as he is. 

“So everyone was scared of seven babies, didn’t you just said that wolves are used that have large offspring?” 

“They weren’t afraid of all of the children but the seventh” Deaton mutters with a mysterious voice.

“Why?” Stiles asks confused. 

“It is a common believe in all cultures, when the sun was the same size than the moon, when the earth still beat and the oceans were made of blood, in those ages where there were no gods and there wasn’t many humans scattered around the lands, disputes between populations were solved differently than how they are settled nowadays” 

“How differently?” 

“Seven champions from a population fought the other seven to death, every one of them had a unique quality that guaranteed their place in the circle, the seven qualities were… Strength, to face hard situations, Speed, to be in the right place at the right time, intelligence, to help in the planning of attacks, Loyalty, to be even willing to die for the other six, Braveness, to encourage the rest to not be afraid, Leadership, to guide the others during the battle to victory and lastly a child with Luck, this last one didn’t took part in the battle, their job was to stay in a high place and stare at the combat, no matter what happened their eyes should be on the other’s Luck, they believed that no matter what happened below, the real conflict was between luck, eventually one would win and other lose, the winners would thank their Luck for guiding them to victory, this seventh warrior… this child was the most respected human being in every population and that’s what the elders believed about Thalia’s sons”  

“Wait, the wolves were planning a war?” Stiles says shocked. 

“That’s what most Binders believed, but we don’t need to take the story so literal, all cultures have their interpretations about the number seven and everyone agree that is a very powerful number that represents change, seven are the days of week, seven are the ages of mankind and the visible colors in a rainbow, seven hells for Muslins and seven deadly sins in Christianity, seven notes of the musical ladder, even in books you can find references to the number seven mysterious powers, like in Harry Potter, J.K Rowling explains how the dark lord splits his soul in seven pieces because is the most powerful magic number” 

“Wait a second…” Stiles frowns. “Are you telling me JK Rowling is actually a witch?” Stiles gaps. 

“She was a Binder” Dr. D Chuckles nodding, “But she found less dangerous to write about those stories instead of living them” 

“Anyway, what I’m trying to tell you is that Thalia never thought about making a war, the elders said that the birth of the seventh wolf would bring a new era to this world, and everybody believed what they wanted to believe, even Thalia knew it was risky to give in birth this child, the seven is the number of luck and changes if it was an animal in my humble opinion it would definitely be a butterfly, but not all changes are good and not all butterflies have colorful wings, the luck isn’t always good and not always bad, that is the dangerous thing about the number seven, the elders knew a big a change was about to come but they couldn’t see which kind, but whatever happened was going to be because of that kid” 

Stiles eyes pop out their sockets, how dangerous a number can be? 

“Two weeks before Thalia gave in birth to her seventh child her husband died in an accident” 

Stiles’ heart squirms in his chests. 

“Heartbroken and with only two weeks to give in birth she had to see her husband dead, it was so sad… Bathilde went to see me a morning two days before the big day, she told me she was _deeply_ preoccupied about Thalia, she heard what happened and was afraid Thalia might blame the baby and their decisions for what happened to her husband, she also knew I took care of Thalia’s previous pregnancies so she offered me a beverage, her own recipe to calm Thalia’s fears and inner guilty feelings, I kindly assured her that Thalia didn’t blame the baby about what happened and that it was just a sad coincidence and invited her to leave” 

Stiles can almost see the conversation completely different in his mind. 

“Bathilde couldn’t fight her concern so she went to see Victoria, she knew how good friends they were and how worried Victoria would be about her friend especially with a full moon rising that night, and Victoria accepted the beverage and gave it to Thalia, then everything went wrong, Thalia began having contractions hours later, the fetus what writhing as a beast trying to break free from its cage, the full moon rose and Thalia died giving in birth a monster, a white furred wolf” 

Oh god! Derek Killed his own mother, Stiles can’t imagine how that could be! Being the reason why… No he can’t even imagine it, the guilt would take over him, and kill him from inside. 

“For werewolves its forbidden to give in birth on full moons, mother and child are vulnerable in those days, it is almost certain that the she-wolf will die, and the pup will be curse by an early exposition to the moonlight that will turn their fur silvery almost white” 

Suddenly Stiles feels some pity for Derek, yeah he killed his own mother but… he couldn’t help it, he was just a boy, and that woman set up a trap right? 

“No one would believe that Victoria poisoned Thalia and forced Derek’s birth on a full moon day, they all knew how broken Thalia was after losing her husband, and how weakened physically and emotionally she became in the last days of the pregnancy, they all agreed it was an awful coincidence, except for Victoria she knew she was the reason her best friend was dead and she would blamed herself until her own death” 

There is short pause in which Stiles thinks about what Dr. D just told him, that woman the hunter fooled Allison’s mother to kill Derek and his mom? It made sense no one would suspect from her, it is awful. 

“Does… Derek know?” Stiles hesitantly. 

Dr. D shakes his head. 

“He knows his mother died giving in birth but doesn’t know that it was him as a werewolf what killed her from inside” Dr. D says with sadness. 

“But it wasn’t him it was that woman…” Stiles starts. 

“Who? Victoria?” Dr. D Questions eloquently. 

“No! You know what I mean” Stiles says furious.

“Everyone is responsible, any truth is valid for what killed Thalia” The man mumbles with sadness. “Victoria blamed herself and Bathilde, Bathilde blamed Thalia and her decisions, most of the werewolves blamed Derek and Thalia’s parents just were crumbling… and they couldn’t they had to rise seven children and train seven werewolves, a really hard work for grandparents, when the kids were older started to blame Derek for everything, they were old enough to know and understand what implied for everyone around Derek that he was the seventh, the were jealous of him because he was the youngest and because he was threated especially kindly from everyone, they spite it him for the single reason of being alive, I felt pity for him” 

Stiles does too know… but… Allison’s mother…

“After Thalia’s death and discovering the big mistake she made Victoria selflessly started to work hard in the relationship between the STCU and werewolves, the things went complicated since Thalia’s death, some werewolves weren’t as optimistic as Thalia’s parents and believed that she was murdered by Hunters, there were conflicts, hundreds died because of it, but with years the waters calmed a little and everybody started to truly believe that there could a chance to establish peace, Victoria was a hard worker, she did great and finally her dreams of a peaceful and perfect world were starting to become truth, it seemed so perfect so real…so… dangerous” 

“What do you mean?” Stiles asks puzzled. 

“Peace, no matter which kind, it’s always an utopic term, peace can’t exist because there is always people whose interests can’t exist in a peaceful world, they take vantage of the parts so they can achieve their own goals through the most effectives ways there are, hate and war. The STCU was really interested in Victoria’s work in rights for our neighbors as she liked to call them, the STCU offered a high charge in the council, she would be above almost everybody in the unit, but she rejected the offer, there was so much she still needed to learn and she was recently pregnant and wanted to be there for the first years of her son or daughter” 

_Allison,_ Stiles thinks with sadness. 

“When Derek was ten years old, Victoria got offered the job again, her daughter was a little older so she decided to take the job for the next summer when her daughter was five, the waters were settling between werewolves and Hunters, now there were rarely people reported dead or missing, for March there were a gathering, Derek’s grandparents called several friends to make a celebration for the triplets birthday and to celebrate that year’s blue moon, Derek was having some issues to control himself that night, he always had being a wolf born in a full moon night made him more savage than an usual werewolf, for him gain control was something almost unreachable, so his grandparents hid him during the full moon to make sure he didn’t hurt anyone, hours later Chris found his wife death and a white wolf running away from him covered in blood” 

Stiles heart skips a beat. “Why…why he killed her?” 

“As I said, Derek couldn’t control himself and…” 

“But they locked him to not hurt anybody! How could he scape and hurt her?” Stiles demands the anger flaring in his chest. 

“Interesting don’t you think? How could he scape from place designed to keep him in and how he went straight to murder the person who was about to change the world for ever, it so sad” 

Something clicks inside Stiles. 

“It was a trap” He mutters. 

“Many, would benefit from Victoria’s death, especially the large party of Hunters that were reluctant to cooperate with wolves, people that could have been beneficiated from a war” 

_Bathilde_

“With Victoria’s death, that same night the hunters in the surrounding areas gathered commanded by Bathilde, the next morning two hundred wolves were dead including Derek’s six brothers” 

Stiles gasps “What? How?” 

“Werewolves aren’t the scariest creatures in the world, neither Igneous the most scary creatures in this world are humans, specially when they’re experts in binding, there was a storm and all the werewolves vanished, they found their bodies in the lake three days later, they made it look as a massive suicide from a cult, a pity for the kids that were murdered by their own grandparents” Deaton says and Stiles can’t any get any note of feeling in his voice as if he were quoting a newspaper. 

“Derek?” Stiles asks. 

“After Chris found Victoria’s body, he hunted Derek in the woods, while all those innocent people were slaughtered, he brought Derek to me, when I saw them I thought that was the night I needed to use the orchid I planted years ago but Derek wasn’t hurt, he just fainted. Chris asked me to take care of the boy and then he took his daughter and left. You never saw him but Derek lived two years with me and Marin, I hid him and taught him how to control his body and his abilities and got him a new home away from here with a new family when he was twelve” 

“Does he knows it wasn’t his fault what happened to Allison’s mother?” Stiles asks hesitantly. 

“There are things that is better for him to not know” Deaton says with mystery on his voice. 

“Are you insane? He has been thinking his whole life that he’s a monster and you didn’t tell him the truth?” Stiles roars spitting saliva. 

“It was the best choice” Deaton assures undeterred. “After I gave Derek away to his adoptive family I heard about some wolves rising, now that Bathilde got killed all Fenrir’s descendants and established a control and curfew for werewolves she was in charge of the STCU in the whole country she was unstoppable, and werewolves didn’t like that, many tried to fight back but it was worthless if they wanted to make an stand it have to be all of them, and here is when the gathering starts, A werewolf claimed himself the new Fenrir and started recruiting werewolves, many didn’t pay attention to him, everybody knew he wasn’t a Hale and the most of the werewolves still awaited for Derek to come back, for years but bit a bit people started to believe in him, he lost many battles and many friends the defeats and the hatred made him lost his mind and then started hunting packs, offering them to join him in exchange for their lives, eventually he found Derek and his adoptive family, a year ago, he murdered the humans, Derek got to escape with Isaac and that’s the reason I can’t tell Derek the truth” 

“I still don’t get it” Stiles says lost. 

“It’s for a greater good, if Derek finds out the truth about that night he will join them and the human race will disappear” Dr. D affirms. 

“How?” 

“They will not only get the support of all the rest of the werewolves in this country and in South-America but will also wining an unique skill that only Derek holds, he is a true descendant of the real Fenrir whoever Derek bits will become a shifter, a werewolf able to create more werewolves you just have to do the math to know how serious it is, that’s why this self-claimed Fenrir has so few werewolves at his command, but with Derek on his side he is unstoppable” 

“So if Derek doesn’t join him, the humankind is safe but controlled by that awful woman, but if he joins them then humans are doomed” Stiles says finally getting all. 

“Basically yeah” Dr. D says with a smirk. 

“So Derek have to kill this guy so Scott can kill him?” 

“He wants to be released, there is so much guilt and pain in his chest, and I’m not talking about Chris’ poison” 

“You could help him by telling him the truth!” Stiles accuses. 

“I won’t do so, and you neither!” Dr. D warns him. “Some sacrifices must be made, I can’t interfere and neither can you, it’s not safe to run with wolves and you should know that already” 

“But what… what if Derek can’t beat this guy? We don’t even know how much wolves he has on his command” 

“They were five hundred the last time I checked” Deaton says thoughtful. 

“FIVE HUNDRED?” 

_Five freaking hundred werewolves!_

“How in the hell are we going to beat five hundred werewolves?” Stiles says shocked. 

“We?” Dr. D frowns, “I told you to stay away from them” 

“And Derek what has? Four wolves?” 

This doesn’t make any sense. 

“Derek believes in what his parents believed. He only needs two more werewolves to be ready, he really thinks he can win” Deaton assures “And maybe seven werewolves is all what he needs to stop five hundreds, something will definitely happen next year” Dr. D chuckles. 

“What do you mean?” Stiles frowns. 

“We are just weeks away from 2014” The man points out. 

“So what?” Stiles says still puzzled he’s not getting were he’s going with all this. 

“Tell me Stiles, what happens when we add up all the numbers that conform the year 2014?” 

Stiles takes a second to understand what the man just said and then…

 _HOLY SHIT!_

…….

GET OUT! GET OUT! GET ME OUT! 

Scott looks around it must be, nine in the morning or even later, he’s not sure anymore he can’t take it, he can’t hold it back, he needs to get out, he needs to break free, the chain, that fucking chain is shrinking he can feel it, it is crunching his wrists and taking out his breath, the joist at which he is tied to, screeches every time the chain moves, it is annoying it is scaring, he needs to go to the bathroom, that’s it maybe if he breaks the joist he can go the bathroom there is nothing bad… OUT! GET OUT! 

The blood, the screams he can see it, he can see it now, the blood was everywhere, the blood, the bodies, those guys, the woods, the people running an a furred tail, and the blood on his chest and his claws the snarl, and the night, the fury the anger the word shining, memories of a glistening sight, it is all there how they died, how they died, how they died, how they died, Scott is not insane, he’s not insane, he’s just alone, he never killed himself, he can’t kill himself because he heals, but there is blood, the word blood is printed in his eyelids, and it hurts, and the back of his throat is aching and he WANTS TO GET OUT, he growls, he’s not sure but thinks he did it in his mind, today is full moon and it hurts, and it hurts, and there is blood, there will be much more blood. 

Scott crumbles and snivels, he’s losing his mind, he’s losing it, he will do something awful he can feel it in his bones. 

“Think as a hero” Stiles voice repeats in his mind. 

“Think as a hero…. Think as a hero” He says to himself. 

A bloody spark clouds his senses and he sees the bodies in memories, he can’t hold it back anymore, he needs to be free! 


	13. DÉATH-JÀ VU

XIII

DÉATH-JÀ VU

 

She has been looking the whole morning, and there hasn’t been any success in her search, she found Stiles’ jeep next to the road in the woods, but there is nothing, no clue of where he might be, she has been trying to reach him through his phone but as usual the little bastard won’t answer the calls. After a couple of hours she has been able to slow down her heartbeat, she is still scared, and confused there are so many things that she still can’t get and that don’t make any sense in her theory, but now she can breathe, and think with a clear mind.

The night was swallowed by the gold sunrays, it is a cloudless and bright morning, the reflection of the sun in the snowed streets is beautiful and soothing. Something is about to happen, she can’t tell what or explain it even to herself but she feels trapped, haunted by a big dark shadow, something horrible is about to happen and this beautiful morning is the way the universe mocks at her with mischief.

When she gets inside home, she almost drifts away in the porch, she so tired and exhausted, this situation overwhelms her, she can’t even believe that she hadn’t tell sheriff what she found out about her son and probably Stiles, and at the same time she can’t actually believe that she really considered on telling the sheriff about it, what anyone else would do in this kind of situation? Who she must be right now? An officer? A mother? A good citizen? She must tell the sheriff the truth about Carlson and Patrick, she needs to protect her son, they must pay for what they have done! She gasps as she gets inside the house, her eyelids are too heavy, she can’t keep them open, this is it, she needs to get some rest.

She needs to recover some energy, and maybe some sleep hours will give her the answers that she needs so desperately, it doesn’t matter if Scott is missing isn’t like he’s going to die, he’s the town’s murderer after all, she can’t believe she raised a serial killer, this is her fault, all her fault, for neglect him for not being around, for being focused on her work instead of her son, after all the pain they came thought she had to take care of him, take care of his wounds hug him even if he was almost a grown up, children no matter of which age will never be old enough to feel safe on their mother’s arm, and she let her boy alone with an abusive father, that ruined their lives.

She stumbles on her way to the stairs, tears climb to her eyes to the thought of what she has done, she takes the first step and the world spins around, she’s broken and tired if she could only…get…some…slee, there is blood in the steps… she stops short, that is the unmistakable dark crimson of blood staining the first step of the stairs, she hesitantly touches the splotch with the tip of her fingers, it is warm, for a second she thinks she might be wounded, but when she is about to inspect her body gets sight of the snaky red line that climbs to the upper floor.

Mellissa takes her gun out of its holster and slowly climbs up the stairs, a thud upstairs makes her jump on her place and almost fall back down, she quickly gets up following the blood trace that guides her to Scott room.

She kicks the door open and aims with her gun.

“What are you doing?” She asks sharply staring at Scott who suddenly freezes carrying some clothes in his arms, there is a backpack half-opened on the bed.

Scott looks at her as if she was an stranger, his eyes have an eerie light on them as if they could glow, his look isn’t rounded and warm as it always have been, instead it is sharp and cold, she can feel a dark void growing in his chest, the anger scorching him from inside with every breath, he’s not a boy anymore, but a criminal, the blood trickling down his forehead damping his cheek and neckline confirms it to her, yet…

Mellissa shoves her gun back in its sheath.

“I’ll leave” Scott says with a deep and short voice, he’s not asking her permission, he’s not making an announcement he’s just establishing a fact.

He knows that she knows, she can see it in his eyes, he’s not looking at her as the authority or his mother, he’s just looking a person who knows too much.

Mellissa tries to swallow the lump in her throat and almost choke.

“Did you kill anyone else?” She says in a mutter, her eyes fixed on him, she won’t cry, not again, her eyes are too swollen and her head and heart ache hard enough… She won’t let him see her crumble.

“NO!” Scott suddenly yells making a strange sound with the back of his throat that makes her shiver.

Mellissa addresses him in a blink and slams his cheek with her palm.

Scott doesn’t seem to even feel the touch of her hand but she definitely did, her hand swells in seconds and starts throbbing, it was like slapping a wall.

Scott remains still staring at the same spot where she was seconds ago before slapping him, why is he acting this way?

“You’re a murderer!” She cries loudly feeling her chest burning, “You’re a murderer!”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” Scott cries covering his ears with his hands.

“Don’t there you to tell…” Mellissa reproaches swinging her hand again but Scott stops her short with his burning hand, the touch scorches her skin she tries to break free but she can’t, he’s too strong… she’s… she’s is…is he going…to?

Mellissa looks up and gaps.

Scott’s eyes aren’t amber as usual but some shades more orange, the outlines are light red and it is rapidly spreading… his eyes… are… changing their color.

Scott lets her go and cries out a deafening moan of pain and makes Mellissa shudder falling openmouthed on her back.

…….

Allison whips the tears away from her face and stands when she hears the screams at the other side of the room, she crouches in the computers line and slowly crawls to the nearest bookshelf to hide. Voices echoes in the room and for a second she feels trapped, but then realizes that there is only two of them and both seen to belong to old women so there is no need to freak out.

She slowly cranes her neck in the corner of the shelf toward the front door where two ladies are standing on the other side of the gap she made in the glass door just a couple of hours ago, they can’t get in, which is good, but… it also means that she can’t get out, at least not until they step out of the door which seems unlikely considering that they might be awaiting for the police already, there must be another option.

Allison tilts her head, behind her are the bathrooms, therefore there must be windows and a way out, so making sure to not let the ladies see her she crawls toward the door at her back, when she’s face to face with the door she pushes it open and rolls inside, as she expected there is a window next to the sinks so she hurries to pass by them to break the glass and jump outside.

Her face meets the cold snow and some arrows poke her in the back, gosh! She forgot she was carrying the bow she stole from her dad’s apartment, she opens her leather jacket dusting away the snow and gets the bow and the quiver and hides them inside and then looks around, she’s in the parking lot, it is empty except for a car, she takes out her phone it is almost midday… What? Did she drifted away or something? Or was she too busy mourning for her dead mommy that the time passed by her, she skipped school and it doesn’t matter, tonight is Sadie Hawkins dance and its Friday, she’s pretty sure most of the guys at school have better things to do and get in class today, like Stiles for example who is busy saving a murderer’s life.

It starts snowing again, Allison covers her head with her hood and shoves her hands in her pockets, she walks crestfallen away from the library, when she’s out of the crime scene she hears the police’s sirens and smirks, she feels a little guilty for breaking in, but it was a thing she had to do, anyway why do they open this late? People in this town aren’t much friends of books, they are ignorant, that’s why they are dying, because they lack of the knowledge of what has been happening for years in this town, they live happy because they don’t know anything about it, oh God! She envies them, she wishes she could forget everything she knows and come back to the world where her mom died in a car accident and her dad was only and architect and Scott looked at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the whole planet, but she’s not pretty and her dad isn’t just an architect and her mom didn’t die in a car accident so now she must do something about it.

Her stomach groans as she walks by the city square, she’s starving! So she gets inside the first coffee she addresses to get a sandwich and a hot and steamy chocolate mug.  

…….

“Two and zero is two”

“Two and one is three”

“Three and four… is Seven”

And seven is a butterfly, because one day crawled and the next flew, when is seven nothing reminds still, seven are the cardinal sins, seven are the notes in the musical ladder, seven is the number of days in a week as the seven Roman gods from whose names they come, the colors in the rainbow, the number of days that God needed to create the world, seven heavens and seven hells, seven heads for a dragon, the candlestick of Hebrews, snow white and the seven dwarves, Seven is the neutral pH value that lies between acidity and alkalinity, seven continents, seven wonders, the magical number seven in psychology theory, seven is the luck and seven is the wolf that lies below.

There are certain things he wants to ask, more and more references to the number come to his mind and its meaning but there is something that puzzles him but just the thought of it makes him shiver, maybe he would ask about it later, he doesn’t feel ready to whatever Deaton might say, seven after all… is a number of luck and luck isn’t bad or good it is just fate.

“What?” Deaton asks arching a brow.

Stiles clears his throat.

“What is a Binder?” Stiles frowns, he has been hearing Derek and Deaton himself say the word for a while now and thought he can picture it in his mind he needs a clear explanation of the meaning of the word to understand better what’s going on in the town.

Dr. D scratches his chin thoughtful.

“Umm… I think you have an idea already don’t you?” The man says a little confused.

“Wizards and witches, the friggin lord of the rings’ cast living in the woods, I’m not sure”

“Wizards?” Deaton chuckles, “Don’t be racist”

“Then…” Stiles stars but Dr. D cuts him.

“There is people with knowledge, they gather information, learn and transmit it to their offspring, the same happens for centuries some last names die, but the knowledge never dies and remains with us awaiting to be rediscovered, they are part of us, it is what bind us to what is beyond”

“What do you mean?” Stiles asks completely lost.

“Through ages people have learned things, and they have claimed themselves superior to other humans, they got all kind of names, Wiccans, Druids, Alchemists, Wizards and Witches, Masons, Crafters, Silvers, Hunters, Zionist, Zoeists and many other more, it is all the same, Binders, people with knowledge it arts, medicine, science, gunplay and war, metalwork, psychology and of course aware of the others that live among us, but at the end of the day they were and are just humans with knowledge and great will power”

“Will power?” What does he mean?

“The energy that keeps you alive” Marin interrupts. “You exist because you believe you do”

Stiles frowns, what?

“See Stiles, all this cultures have lots of things in common but they all agreed in only one famous sentence “If you can see it then it is real” it is the believe that everything in this universe exist because humans believe it is real, is the incertitude that there were things that we forgot and stopped being real” Dr. D tries to explain.

“So according to your theory, God must be real because millions of people believe he does” Stiles says confused.

Deaton and Marin nod.

“But it doesn’t make sense, he created us but he exists because people think….”

“Don’t occupy your mind with paradoxes like that one, it was just an example I never said god was real in the first place”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You believe in werewolves and people that live in the shadows but don’t think god is real?” Stiles asks scandalized.

“Well I haven’t see him before” Dr. D says sternly.

“Maybe… one day enough people will believe in him” Stiles says more to himself than someone else.

“Maybe” Dr. D agrees with a grin, “Now, would you like to follow me?” The man says standing up and getting from the living room a pair of boots over his pajamas and a long coat and a scarf.

“Where?” Stiles asks a little dizzy he’s so tired.

“We need to have a little talk alone, I think you need fresh air”

He wants to go back home and have some rest, he needs to check up Scott and bring him food and eat himself, and Derek… He is still downstairs healing, it is a long day and he’s so tired, but Dr. D’s offering seems so tempting, he have learned so much about everything with just having a couple of hours talking to the guy, it is amazing to think that after all these years he lived next to this man, is like a complete different person than the Dr. D he used to know. So though he will probably end up drifting away in the snow, Stiles wants to walk with him and learn some more about the Binders and ask him so things that have been disturbing him since he got in his home carrying Derek’s body with him.

When they start their way Stiles isn’t surprise that they’re heading toward the woods, it is the most evident place they could go, because it isn’t like they’re going to a cafeteria to talk about monster and queen orchids and dying people, though he is a little scare they might run into Erica and Vernon, they are looking for Scott after all, so they might… well he’s not sure they can hurt him anymore, Dr. D… there is something disturbing about him, he might be an oldster but he’s pretty sure he can kick Erica and Vernon’s asses without any problems, so he feels uneasy but safe what a weird mix, when they get in the wood line Stiles stops short.

“Take it easy, the woods won’t change this time” Dr. D chuckles.

“Why not?” Stiles asks reluctantly following him inside, and he can confirm it as soon as he steps in and looks back, he’s still in the wood line instead of some random place inside the forest.

“I just plugged it down, you keep distorting it and will get so exhausted you will eventually die” Explains the older.

“I don’t do anything it just happens” Stiles says embarrassed.

“Of course you do, your willpower is big, it has always been, I still remember your mom’s face when your toys wandered around your house in the middle of the night” The man chuckles as they start their hike.

Stiles arches a brow. “What do you mean?”

“It happened often while you were asleep, some of your things…. Became…. Alive”

“My mom told you that?” Stiles says shocked.

“Who else would she say? I was her best friend and your dad would have believe that she was crazy”

Something plunges Stiles’ stomach down, he did things, when he was a kid, but he doesn’t remember and his mom, she saw them.

“She knew about you?” Stiles asks thrilled, did his mom knew? About the Binders and all those stuffs?

Dr. D shakes his head. “I made her believe it were all dreams” Says with pity.

“Why?” Stiles says deflated.

“I was concerned that if she talked to somebody Bathilde might eventually end up coming back”

“But she did right? When Derek….” Stiles starts.

“Yes she was interested in meeting Allison, a daughter from Longshot and Victoria, she wouldn’t admit it but she desperately wanted to get the girl in her hands and rise her as a her own”

“What? That’s why she killed Allison’s mom?” Stiles stops short. “Wait… Allison she can do things too?”

“Isn’t that obvious? I thought you knew it already” Dr. D chuckles ducking a low branch continuing their walk.

Ahead Stiles can see how the trees grow thicker, where is he taking him?

“So…” Stiles starts. “I need to ask you something” The boy says uneasy.

“There is something going on between Allison and I, I can’t explain it but when he touch, I feel something in my chest, in my heart it’s like an electric shock I can’t breathe and I don’t know where I am and I feel like I’m falling, have you seen something like it before?”

Dr. D shakes his head, “But I noticed it, I saw you both in the game in the Halloween, perhaps it has something do to with your bodies acknowledging each other”

“What do you mean?” Stiles says confused as he dodges a heap of snow just ahead of him.

“It ever happened to you that you’re alone in a room with your eyes closed and you can feel when someone is coming in and you can tell who that person is though you aren’t actually seeing them?”

Stiles thinks about it for a minute and then nods it happened at least once or twice in his life he’s sure of it, especially with Scott and his mom.

“It is pretty much the same, I think your bodies are telling each other that you have a great willpower within”

There is something in Dr. D voice as if he just hesitated, he’s not telling Stiles the whole thing.

“Then why I don’t feel it with you or Marin?” Stiles points out squinting.

Dr. D sighs, “It depends, it is a skill that needs a lot of practice to master, you can get information about the person you just knew using it, specially their mood, which is useful when you need to get something from them, you can use their feelings on your favor” The man snickers, “But… you’re right”

Stiles looks around, they just arrived in the cliff, his stomach squirms just to the thought of falling down again, it was so scaring, is Dr. D planning on shoving him again?

“What are we doing here?” Stiles says with shaky voice.

“Sixteen years ago, on July Seven…

Stiles’ heart quiver in his chest, he feels like he just woke up, what did he say?

“Victoria was giving in birth a girl, as I said we were all good friends, and your mom was concerned, actually frightened, we lost Thalia giving in birth after all, and now Victoria…”

“What happened?” Stiles asks dumbfounded.

“There were some complications with, you were… noisy even in your mom’s womb, you were too eager to be born, your mom cried so loud…” Dr. D chuckles as he looks up with longing.

“I don’t get it” Stiles says confused.

“Didn’t your parents tell you you were a premature baby?” Deaton asks with curiosity.

Stiles shakes his head, _premature?_ Is he telling the truth?

“Your willpower was… so… your determination…you are problems for everyone around you”

“That’s what the wolves said” Stiles agreed with sadness. “But I didn’t do anything wrong” Complains relaying his head against a naked oak.

“Are you sure?” Dr. D says suspiciously.

.......

After breakfast-lunch or whatever she took Allison is ready she has been wandering the whole day in the town so her legs are starting to hurt, but it is good to fight the coldness off. She is not sure how she feels anymore, but part of her is just resigned that she won’t be able to trust her dad anymore. As she strides in the walkway she squints at the school’s windows, there is people in there, of course there are, but not as much as usual, many are getting ready for tonight’s dance, the girl with the big dresses fighting for a crown and the guys renting some suit and hoping to get laid that night, somewhat she feels sick to the thought of it, their lives are so simple, so easy, she hates them all.

Instead of walking in carrying a bow and a quiver with her, she heads to the playing field, as expected it is empty, it is too early for the team to practice, oh Scott… will he come to the dance tonight? Some girl for sure had ask him already, Allison feels so miserable right now, it is like a conspiracy to destroy her life and take everything away from her, she has nothing now, she lost her family, her friends and her love all at once and now the only thing she has is herself.

She comes through the snowed playing field in long strides, she doesn’t want to be seen from anyone, she just need to do this, and then everything will make sense, she is sure of it.

…….

“What do you mean?” Stiles says fearsome.

“That afternoon, there were too much movement in the hospital, I remember the nurses coming and going, there was a storm outside, the thunders, the rain were so strong, a storm in July in Beacon Hills, no one could understand was going on but I knew what was going on, it was a little bastard who couldn’t wait his remaining two months to be born”

Stiles flushes, damn he really did that?

“They brought your mom at five, she wasn’t able to hold on anymore, in the next room Victoria was giving in birth too, as I said there was a lot of concern for her daughter, they thought she might die, because she was a premature baby too”

Stiles’ heart shudders and his head spins.

“A..Allison and I were born the same day?” He says almost choking with his words.

Doctor Deaton stares at him puzzled, “Didn’t you know? I thought you were friends”

“Yeah I mean no!” Stiles tries to explain, “I mean yeah we are friends but isn’t like we got much time to talk those stuffs I’ve been busy trying to get what the hell is going on in this town” Allison and he share their birthday… they share their birthday and the spark… there is something scaring about all this.

Dr. D. makes a pause to dig his hands in the snow and take some withered leaves from the ground, then he clears his throat, “Actually, you should share your birthday” Starts.

“What do you mean?”

“When they finally got Allison out of Victoria she was… cold and quite she wasn’t breathing and her heart beat was weak” Dr. D says with sorrow.

Yeah it is stupid to say but, suddenly Stiles feels like trapped, a lump climbs to his throat and starts choking him, the thought of Allison dying being just a baby is too painful.

“I was with your dad when I heard the yells in the hallways, Chris was out of himself, the storm was fiercer outside and they feared for your life too, I wanted to be with Chris and Victoria but couldn’t let your mom alone I was so scared and then they pulled you out, and for a second everything went silent, for a brief moment everything stopped and we stared at your naked and blooded body before you opened your mouth and shrieked, an ear-piercing cry that lasted a full despairing minute, everyone thought there were something wrong with you, but no it was just you being finally born, they started to clean you when another cry as loud as yours filled the air in the next room, it was a _miracle_ ” Dr. D says wryly. “She was alive, something saved her from dying”

_Something?_

“It was you, you were life itself coming in the world, you were so determined to live that you make her want to live too, you both cried for an hour in unison, it was insane the sound was so high pitched that people had to use earplugs near you, by eight the storm calmed and all the lights in the hospital went out, that’s when I knew you too were trouble”

Stiles is amazed, what the hell happened between them when they were just babies?

“What….what… are we?” Stiles

“You are two kids with a deep connection, you both were born on July seven sixteen years ago, both left the town, both lost your moms, and recently got back, both had to learn how to take care of your dads, both are constantly crying inside and feeling scared and angry at the same time, both can bind, both are strong and have great wills, both have wolves that care about you, both have names with seven letters each”

Stiles takes a second to count Allison’s name, oh shit but…

“Stiles doesn’t have seven letters” He corrects the man.

“I’m not talking about your nickname but your actual name you know A…”

“Ok, ok I get it you don’t have to say geez” The boy complains.

“Both were the missing pieces of this puzzle”

Stiles heart races in his chest, hitting his ribcage, god! He hadn’t notice it before but he is right, Allison and Stiles have so much things in common but why? Are they meant to marry each other? No way! He couldn’t do that to Scott.

“What do you mean with pieces of the puzzle?” The more he learns about all this and himself, the less he gets.

“It is something your mom used to say when she was writing a new story remember? That missing piece that spark that helped everything to make sense?”

Stiles nods.

“It is pretty much the same, you did this Stiles, you both did it”

The ground beneath Stiles vanishes and suddenly he feels like falling again, his fault? Why?

“I…” He starts.

“Imagine you wouldn’t have come back, Scott would eventually learn he was a werewolf without so much drama, because he wouldn’t have to worry about you and your problems and that he needed to protect…”

“He doesn’t have to protect me” Stiles protests angrily.

“Tell that to him, he feels like you are his responsibility and that’s what made so hard for him to get control over his instincts”

Oh shit it is his fault!

“Derek would have spare time to get the remaining wolves in his pack, and the seven would be ready at time…”

“But…”

“Let’s ask the faces in the wind” The man proposes and shiver runs down Stiles’ spine.

“The what?”

Dr. D takes the withered leaves in his palm and in astonishment Stiles gaps at them as they uncurl and become greener as if they were coming back to life, then the man let them fall and the wind caught them taking them away from the boy and the binder.

“What did you just did?” Stiles says confused.

“The faces see everything” The man explains sternly.

“What faces? I didn’t see anything” Stiles says losing his patience.

“The wind is alive, they are messengers they carry information and answer my questions when I need their guide, the wind that comes from the north brings the yet to come, when it comes from east brings a possibility, the same for the west, but when it comes from the south is to remind us something we forgot”

“Amazing” Stiles says to himself thinking about what Deaton just said. “What did you asked them?”

“About you, I have lots of questions about you” The man admits with shining eyes.

Stiles looks around, the woods are silent, the snow covers every branch of the trees and all the soil, making it impossible for him to see the ground, at his back is the cliff and ahead nothing but air, the gray line of the lake meeting the a shade darker sky.

In matter of seconds a rush of air comes from ahead, Dr. D stretches his hand and closes it in a fist and suddenly the wind fades, Stiles approaches him, the man lowers his hand and opens it before him, inside there are two leaves, one green and healthy and other withered and brown almost grey the blade is all crouched but you still can see a tiny hole near its apex just in the middle of the veins.

“What does that mean?” Stiles asks confused.

“This leaf is you” Dr. D says seriously.

“What will happen to me?”

“She’s going to kill you” Deaton explains dryly, he knew this, he knew all this from the beginning Stiles can see it, in his eyes, there not surprise on them at all.

“It must be a mistake, Allison is my friend and you said we both are connected from our birthday and everything else”

Suddenly the air is starting to lack in his lungs, how is this possible? Allison and he are friends.

“You are the remaining pieces, two stubborn kids, that fooled death and death doesn’t like to be fooled” Dr. D says severely.

“What do you mean?” This is not okay, this is not okay.

“One of you should have died that day Stiles, it was a seven after all, one of you had to die but none did, so… since that day the death has been chasing you both”

“Isaac says I smell like death” Stiles mutters swallowing hard, the death…he is being hunted since the moment he was born.

“Bad things happen around you, and it won’t end until one of you two die”

“Do I have a choice?” He asks a little hopeful.

“Kill her before she kills you” Dr. D advises.

Stiles shakes his head, “This is not happening this must be a mistake, I can’t kill Allison she’s my friend, she wouldn’t hurt me, she doesn’t even know about the werewolves and her mom why would she…”

How can he be sure she doesn’t know anything? Maybe she knows and didn’t tell him, maybe she came back to the town to kill Derek… Scott!! She might hurt Scott! And Stiles himself!

“That thing you feel in your chest every time she is around is a warning, it’s your body recalling something that hasn’t happened yet, it’s your body telling you how she’s going to kill you an omen of death like…”

“A Déath-Jà vu” Stiles says eloquently thought he’s squirming with fear inside.

“No… you’re wrong, Allison wouldn’t hurt me, she wouldn’t do that”

…….

She throws the coins up high and they spin in all directions in the air, reflecting the sun rays, becoming tiny glistening dots in the distant, she spins on her feet, holding the bow, close her eyes, her fingers already fidgeting with the arrows in the quiver, she holds her breath and the arrows start flying, don’t wasting time in looking at her shots, she continues firing until she’s out of arrows, when she’s done she takes another breath and determined she saunters with her face low, when she reaches the fourth hundred feet or so she looks up and faces the tree and snickers staring at the twenty coins pierced by ten arrows writing the letter A on the trunk.


	14. UNMASKED

XIV

UNMASKED

There was no wind or sound, for a brief second she forgot she was alive, she was in peace with herself for the goal she just achieved, it was stupid to think about it as a whole major thing, but it was, no human being was able of the things she was, well that wasn’t completely true, her dad was able of such unbelievable feats.

Who is she? She has been asking herself the same question for the past three months and every time the answer changed. Once she was a normal teenage girl, then she became the daughter of a criminal, later the girl who found out a whole new world hidden within ours, then the girl of a liar, this morning she was the girl who couldn’t take it anymore and now… Allison doesn’t have an answer this time for who she is, she is lost and confused, well not completely confused she knows what she wants in her life, she wants Derek dead, but… what then?

She wants her dad to pay for lying to her for hiding from her who she really is and what she is capable of, hundreds of questions come to her mind while she walks toward her home, luckily no one at school saw her coming through the playing field, what is she going to do now with her skills? Will she keep learning from the book, will she leave home and become a demon’s hunter like her dad? Will she ever trust her father ever again?

What now? Should she drop School? How much Stiles knows? It is too much, she wish she could get some rest, to lay on her bed and forget the whole thing at least for a couple of hours, but she knows she won’t get any rest, she’s too tired but she won’t be able to sleep if she knows Derek is still out there and her dad stills believes she is just a frightened little girl, she must face them both, and it has to be today.

…….

“How much time I got left?” Stiles says with hoarse voice, his throat is dry and is tearing raw.

He feels like the day they told them his mom condition wasirreversible.

“I’m not sure…” Dr. D. starts not daring to look at Stiles in the eye, “I would say months, but with death you never know, it may come for you tonight, or in a year or in eighty years”

“Then why did you just say months?” Stiles demands furious, this is so pathetic, he’s afraid of dying he’s a scared little boy fearsome of his eventual death.

“Everything is starting, things are moving, there are decisions being made, soon you will understand everything”

“I want to know now!” Stiles screams, “Tell me! What’s going to happen? How can I stop it, you said there were always possibilities, give me some”

“Die before time” Dr. D replies dryly. “If you die things will calm down, Derek and Scott will die in their attempt to stop the Fenrir and the world will be saved”

“What if I don’t die in the right time?” He swallows hard, this is stupid, he can’t be seriously negotiating the day of his own death.

“There will be a war” Deaton says sternly motioning him to get back to the town.

Stiles starts pacing up while he keeps talking, his hold body shakes, and he has to do a big effort to hold his tears back, he’s going to die… soon.

“What if…what if I don’t die… what if…?” Stiles mutters with his head down.

“That won’t happen, there are things that can’t be stopped” Dr. D cuts him short.

_This is not fair, this is so fucking unfair!_

What is he going to do know? What about his dad? What about Scott? Who will tell Derek the truth? If he dies… fuck! And he is still a virgin! He is a loser even to die!

He feels his phone buzzing against his thigh in his pant and he stops, he shoves his hands in his pocket and tugs it out, who could it be? He unlocks it and stares at the screen, he has tons of missing calls from Scott’s mom, oh Jesus! Just what he needed more problems and… An incoming call from Lydia! Shit.

“Hey Lydia” He says trying to sound cheerful.

“Hi” She replies listless.

“Are you…?” He starts but she cuts him off.

“I just… wanted to apologize for last night, I mean I was really drunk I don’t know what I was thinking, I think I might have even slept with you if you would had come” She says with a hurtful voice.

“Lydia, don’t say that, I totally get it, you were having some problems”

Dr. D motions Stiles to cut the call, and then the idea of Erica and Vernon looking for Scott in the woods freezes him, he almost forget, he can’t do any more noise or they might find him.

“Anyway, I just wanted to apologize” She says with sadness almost cutting the call.

“Wait” Stiles begs, not sure of what he’s doing, “Are you still going to Sadie Hawkins dance? I mean I know that after everything that happened you probably won’t but… I mean…”

“Actually… Tackler came in the morning to apologize and…um... I…” She explains.

_Oh fuck!_

“Lydia don’t! You can’t do this to yourself!” Stiles grunts.

“I gotta go” She says with sadness, cutting the call.

Deaton stares at him with his brow crested “That girl…” The man starts with a tone of sorrow on his voice.

“What?” Stiles asks.

Dr. D shakes his head, “Nothing” says and then continues with his walk.

“Wait” Stiles follows him.

“There must…”

“There is nothing you can do Stiles, some decisions must be made and they don’t concern you”

“But they affect me” Stiles says balling his hands with anger.

Dr. D nods, “I’m so sorry, I know it sucks but there is nothing I can do about it”

“Tell me something” Stiles wonders calming down a little, maybe the death will comes for him in eighty years as Dr. D said, it doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow, maybe it won’t happen in a long time.

“What if hypothetically I don’t die, Scott will die still? There will be a war after all?”

“I don’t know” Dr. D admits with some embarrassment in his voice. “Many things might happen”

Stiles stops then, that’s it! “Then I won’t die” He says defiantly.

“Stiles…you”

“I don’t care what you say, I won’t die… I won’t let anyone decide whether I live or not and chase me to drive me insane, I’ll live and I’ll stop the war, I’ll do something! Anything! And all this will be over” He says furious, his fingernails digging in his skin as he presses his fists, but he’s right he’s going to do it, he is determinate.

There is a long pause in which Stiles can’t see Dr. D’s reaction, the man just stands there in silence, both stopped walked as soon as Stiles said his resolution and now there is an awkwardness growing between them.

“You have determination but it isn’t enough Stiles” Dr. D says dryly, “This is not one of your books, and you’re not the chosen one, actually you’re quite the opposite”

He didn’t just say that!

Stiles has to get out of there, he can’t stand Dr. D anymore, he is so stubborn, there must be another way, he knows it.

They pace in silence the rest of the way, for seconds he feels like the anger is finally fading, but then the man’s hard words come back to his mind and the fear and desperation take over him again. After ten minutes he starts to devise his jeep in the horizon, he wants to go home, get some rest, checkup Scott and Lydia, oh that girl was so lost! He can’t actually believe she is back with Tackler after he cheated on her and threated her like shit.

His phone rings.

Lydia?

He tugs it out of his pocket, it is his dad… oh fuck! He hesitantly rises it to his ear.

“Hey dad!” He say faking happiness.  

“Stiles! Thank god!” His father says through the speaker with an agitated voice.

Why he is so agitated? What is going on?

His hands start to shake “Dad what’s going on? Is grandpa okay?”

Oh no, grandpa, what would have happened? He knew he should have went with his dad, but now Scott and Derek! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Grannie, what will happen with her? Oh God!

“Are you okay?” His dad says with hitched breath, his voice is about to crack.

“Dad!” He snivels.

Dr. D. Suddenly stops and stares at him, Stiles looks around, he can’t scream, he knows he can’t, the wolves might come but… his dad, he is…

“Where are you?” His dad demands hastily.

“I’m with Mr. D what’s going on?” The boy begs him, feeling the tears climbing to his eyes.

Fuck, he doesn’t want Deaton to watch him cry, another funeral, it is too soon, his mom, oh God his mom! His grandparents! He’s losing it, he is losing it, he can’t breathe, his mind is clouding.

“Have you seen Scott or Melissa?” His dad asks and Stiles jerks up, why is asking about them? “Have you seen them today?”

“Dad! What’s going on?” He asks one last time, before losing his mind and probably faint.

“They just called me, something happened at their house, there was a lot of noise and cries, they think something might have happened to them” His dad explains, “Didn’t you hear anything?”

_Oh no! No! No! No! No!_

“No I…” Shit he can’t think straight, there are tons of questions in his mind he can’t concentrate to made up a lie about where he have been the last twelve hours.

“Its okay son it is not your fault” His dad reassures him. “You’re at Deaton’s right?”

Stiles nods, then he recalls he’s on a phone call.

“Yes but…” He starts but his dad cuts him off.

“Listen to me, tell Deaton to take you home to get your stuffs, don’t go by yourself you hear me? Don’t go by yourself, the police is on their way but I don’t want you to be at home alone, pack everything up and tell him to drive you to the bus station, text me when you’re on your way”

This is so confusing.

“Dad but grandpa…”

“He’s alright, but I can’t come back yet, and you can’t stay in there on your own” His father explains with sorrow.

“But dad, Mrs. M and Scott…”

“The police will look for them, I’m sure they are fine, they’re probably just scared hiding somewhere, they said they saw a bear or something, no one is sure but now I just need you to come here, you hear me?”

Stiles looks around, His dad doesn’t know what’s going on, he doesn’t have any idea, a bear? What the hell their neighbors saw? No please don’t!

“Dad...” He tries.

“I won’t discuss this Stiles, I’ll pick you up in a couple of hours at the bus station” His dad grunts and cuts the call.

Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!

There is another ring, but the tune is different from Stile’s phone, it isn’t his…

Dr. D takes his phone out of his pocket.

“Oh Hey Simon” The man says politely to the phone.

 _Fuck_!

Stiles scoots back and looks among the naked trees, he knows what’s about to happen.

“He’s alright” Adds with a grin.

Stiles slowly starts to turn on his heels.

“I’ll make sure he takes the bus” Deaton affirms and cuts the call.

Stiles has already started running, but before he can’t reach his jeep Dr. D takes him by the collar of his shirt.

“I might not be a hunter but I’m still faster than you” Deaton says with a mock on his face.

Stiles whirls on his place to break free, but Dr. D grasp on his shirt is tight.

“Leave me alone, I need to go!” Stiles reproaches trying to break free.

“Your dad commanded me to take you to the bus station and I’ll do so” Dr. D says sternly.

“I don’t care what he says, Mrs. M might be in danger” Stiles cries with rage.

“Stiles you need to calm down, everything will be alright just go to see your grandparents and…”

“No!” He yells letting go from his grip.

Stiles pushes back Dr. D and starts striding toward his jeep.

“This is your chance Stiles” Dr. D says calmly without following him “If you want to live, leave all this behind and go with your dad”

Stiles stopped short, his eyes wide open, suddenly the snow glow was hurting his pupils, was there a chance?

“You’re not the chosen one or anything like it, stop thinking you can do something about it, stay out of all this” The man advises at his back.

Stiles shakes his head.

“I don’t care if my destiny is not to be a hero, that won’t stop me from trying to do the right thing, I can’t just go and let them die” He objects and then continues his dash toward his jeep.

Once he’s in the car, it takes him a minute to calm down, he takes a deep breath and let it out slowly which only make him feel dizzier but he need to control himself, or else he might get an accident, he needs to think positive, they are alright, they are alight, Dr. D said that if you believe in something then it is real so maybe if he keeps thinking everything will be alright it will eventually do.

He turns on the engine and hits the gas, first starts driving slowly while his body warms up and his senses wake up, if it wasn’t because he is so fucking scared and preoccupied he might drift away by exhaustion and have and accident.

As he drives by the streets the icy-cold air rushes in through the window, and the road turns into a long stele, it seemed to stretch for ever, he’s pretty sure he has been driving for hours but he still doesn’t get home, will Dr. D look for him? He’s not sure, that’s why he must be quick just in case.

When he takes the last curb the patrol’s lights almost blind him, they are outside the McCall house, how he feels? He doesn’t know, it have been the second longest day of his life, where he have experimented all kind of emotions and feelings, so now… He just want to find Mrs. M and confirm that she’s fine, he knows he might be losing precious time right now but… he can’t just assume that something really happened, he wants to believe that all this is a misunderstanding.

There is police tape all around the entrance, some cops are outside trying to keep neighbors behind the barricade line, Stiles approaches, passing by some of his neighbors who stare at him as if he were a ghost or something, he’s not strong enough, he’s not, he needs to run to get in there and find Scott’s mom with a crisis telling that a bad guy tried to rob her, he would rather that than…

“You can’t come in” A police officer says beckoning him to stay outside the line.

Why is there a line anyway? It isn’t a murder scene… right?

 _Please God don’t!_ He thinks, what else he can do? He needs to get in there.

 _Think Stiles, think!_ That’s it! His house.

He scoots and turns on his heels and approaches his house, he just hopes they don’t try to stop him, considering that his house is next they might consider searching in but there is no one trying to stop him, good! He comes through the lawn in long strides and hurls himself inside as quickly as possible, just in case they might change their mind on following him inside.

Ok there is no time! He knows Scott’s mom was about to find out something big about the murders, that Patrick guy and Scott’s picture on his email, what was it anyway? Well Mrs. M is a cop she isn’t dump she knew what she was looking for from the beginning which means that she might have find out at least a part of the mystery, which was bad, because that meant that Scott might be in trouble, she would definitely want to talk to her son about why a dead guy got a picture of him and died that same very day, she doesn’t know where is Scott, good! Well he’s not so sure Scott might be in the same place, he used a silver chain but… what if? No it is impossible but then… how does he explains all this mess? There must be an explanation, there has to be.

He crouches before the kitchen’s sink and slowly rises his head up to get a look through the window, from his point of view he can see the police expecting some spots of the living room, he can see some upside down furniture and wood splinters, up he can see Scott’s window opened and his curtains dancing in the wind.

He makes sure no one is watching and climbs up the stairs, he knows this is crazy but he needs to get in there, he needs to see what happened with his own eyes, he is running out of time and he have to do something, so he comes into the spare room which is stacked with boxes and old trinkets and moves them aside, they never use it so it is full of dust and cobwebs, he dodges some spiders on his way to the other side of the room and squints through the filthy window, gosh that place is really messy, he needs to clean it up when all this crap is over. As he expected Scott’s window is still open, okay this is his chance.

He opens the windows and steps back, oh god! He can’t believe he’s actually doing this. He gets some air, sprints and before he can’t think twice, closes his eyes and jumps through the gap, his stomach plunges down as for a scarce second he feels the void of emptiness beneath. His fingers clutch to the windowsill of Scott’s room and he opens his eyes.

Slowly gets himself up wrenching his body through the window’s gap, curtains tickling his face while he crawls inside. When his thighs are in he pulls with his arms and the rest of his body falls him down as he strikes his face against the floor, crap! That hurt! He hears some steps in the other room and hurries to hide beneath the bed, and it is when he finds the first claw marks, they are in the bed’s leg, the wood in the marks is pale and splintery, so it means that the marks are new. When the steps stop Stiles comes out of his stash dumfounded.

Scott… No, it can’t be Scott…maybe… maybe it is Erica… she’s tired of looking for Scott and she came after his mom, that bitch! She is going to pay for what she did.

“What are you doing here?” Says a voice from the door.

Stiles’ heart skips a beat, in front of him is the largest police officer he have ever seen, with broad shoulders and square jaw, has eyes dark as pits and a ridiculous mustache.

“I…I” Stiles starts unable to find a lie to save himself.

“Answer me!” The man yells.

Stiles scoots, there is something feral in his eyes that makes Stiles want to run away, it’s like staring a rabid dog.

“I… I just came because I’m their neighbor”

The man takes him by the arm brusquely and jerks him out of the room, his palm is burning it almost makes him scream in pain.

“Sheriff Sir” A man says when Stiles gets out of Scott’s room.

Behind them there is another police officer, this one seems as scared as Stiles probably is right now.

“What?” The sheriff replies sharply.

“The blood sir” The officer starts thoughtful “The blood has been dried for hours” Explains.

Stiles stares down and almost chokes when he gets sight of a long line of dried brown liquid that comes from Scott’s room and climbs down the stairs or climbs up the stairs to Scott’s room?

“Whatever was this thing that attacked agent McCall was already wounded when it got inside the house” The officer explains with a shaky voice.

Seriously, this guy was a cop? Wait a second, wounded? What the fuck? Something doesn’t make sense here…

“Take him downstairs and make sure he doesn’t come in again” The sheriff said letting go Stiles.

He brushes his arm where he grabbed him, his skin is soft and hot and a little red, it hurts him as if the man just grasped him too tight.

The officer beckons him to follow him downstairs which is stupid considering that he should be the one guiding him. It is a little disturbing to watch all that blood on the steps, what the hell happened there?

He can’t get an answer because before he realizes, they are outside and the police officer is pushing him behind the barricade line, they won’t let him in again, but it doesn’t matter, Mrs. M isn’t there and he must find her before it is too late.

There is no time to lose, Stiles pushes his nosey neighbors aside and runs to his jeep, he climbs up and hits the gas, his not to end day is getting larger and larger and the full moon is only five hours away, he feels like he will fall unconscious any time and will wake up in a world where everyone he loves is dead just… just like the dream he had last night.

As he drives to the towns outskirts he pass by more and more cars going to his neighborhood, seems like the whole time is concerned by Mrs. And Scott or at least they can’t hold back their gossip asses out of trouble they are probably fearing for their lives now, it is supposed that the creature in the woods was a dog that is now dead, fuck Derek and his stupid plans now the police will be searching back in the woods in matter of time.

When he’s reaching the wood line in the entrance of the town he slows down, far ahead he can see the creek, he takes the driveway to head to the mill and see that Scott is there fine, he just need a second to see that everything is fine, it has to be fine… Scott… he wouldn’t hurt his mom not his mom it doesn’t matter if he’s a monster he wouldn’t.

He gets to the creek, stops the engine and hurries to climb down of the car to dash toward the mill to find Scott and confirm that everything is okay, the problem is… that there isn’t a mill anymore.

…….

She opens the door and gets inside her house and suddenly it doesn’t feel like her home anymore, she can put it in words but is like the world structure just changed, she feels like a hundred years passed since the last time she came inside that drawing room, when she left the house last night she was hopeful to see her dad do his job now she comes back almost wishing he wasn’t her dad so she could shot an arrow straight to his head for being a bastard motherfucker.

There is something odd about the living room, or is it the whole house? It’s like being in someone else’s home? It doesn’t feel right to be there, maybe because she wants to be right now with Derek watching him die but… it is unsettling, she doesn’t want to be in that home anymore but where she can go? She can’t just leave, right? Where is she going to go? What is she going to do? She doesn’t know anything about the binders, she doesn’t even know if there is more of them apart from Stiles her dad and her… wait a second… Her dad was chatting with someone the other night, he was waiting for someone to come to help him with Derek and the rest of the wolves, maybe that’s it, other people like them, she needs his laptop.

Allison climbs up the stairs and runs to her dad room, as usual it is a total mess, she would have smiled but… she is not sure how she feels about the man anymore, his bed messy and the closet is all opened, now she knows why he likes so much to wear black, he’s used to come one in the night to kill things.

His laptop is closed over the nightstand, she takes it and quickly opens it while she sits on the bed, it starts booting and loading the OS, her stomach groans and she feels a pang, she’s starving and her dad’s bed feels so warm and cozy, god! She can’t seriously be thinking about taking a nap right now, what’s wrong with her?

She takes the laptop while it still loads and gets in her room, she is not sure if her dad is on his way already, how long can take him take down the other werewolves? She’s not sure but if better she hides it while she finds what she’s looking for.

She hides the laptop next to the Binding’s book below her pillow and takes off her boots, god! Her feet are killing her, she lets the quiver and the bow below her bed and puts on her slippers, she can’t fight the hunger anymore, she better gets something to eat, the less she needs is to die of starvation before killing Derek, okay maybe she’s overreacting a little, she got a beagle just a couple of hours ago, but she can’t think straight when she’s hungry so she gets down and addresses the kitchen.

She’s not in the mood to make a fancy meal, she just want to get full her stomach get a quick back and come get out of that place, she doesn’t feel ok, it’s like shadows, yeah shadows, are hunting her, the ghosts of her life, which is stupid because she doesn’t really remember much about her mom, but she can’t help imagining her right in that kitchen, taking the bread slices in the toaster, that’ what she would have done is she was alive.

She chops a tomato and takes some lettuce’s leaves, and gets the just toasted bread slices, spreads cheese over the surface of one hot slice and watches it slowly melt with delight, finishes preparing her sandwich and takes a huge bite, then she cries, she cries as a little girl who needs her mom, she cries for her dad who doesn’t love her, she cries because she feels lost and scared, she mourns because her life crumbled and the pieces are scattered all around the floor and she doesn’t know what to do with them, she can’t crave for a life, but it is all what she ever met.

She finishes her sandwich and wipes the tears away from her eyes, washes her hands in the sink and climbs up the stairs to take a bath. She gets in the shower and turns the hot water’s valve while she undresses, her body resents the cold air while she awaits the air to become steamy to get inside.

When the water touches her skin she lets out the breath she has been holding for what feels like ages, she doesn’t have more tears to shed so now just stays there below the shower head, feeling the scorching cascade tearing her skin apart, she’s cleaning the old Allison away from herself, she feels how the smiling naïve girl slips from the tips of her toes and is swallowed by the drainage, what remains now is something fierce and determinate, something merciless and furious that has only one goal in life.

When she’s done takes a towel and cleans her body, gets out of the shower and gets in her room, she doesn’t know if Derek got better after all but if he is a werewolf and Stiles and that man really got to save his life he must be healed already which means that she will need be fast and comfortable.

She takes legging pants and a light blouse so she can be more agile in case she must chase Derek like her dad did, she puts on her boots and then it happens, it is so fast that she doesn’t have time to respond, her back is bathed by a rain of glass and a thunderous crack makes her jump on her place, Allison quickly turns on her heels.

In front of her is the reason all this started in the first place, the monster that chased her that night in the woods in the rave, the same creature that haunted her in her dreams, the werewolf that have been murdering everybody in the town.

It is enormous, its body has brown fur, it’s is big and the muzzle large with rows and rows of sharp snarled fangs.

Allison’s lip wobbles and she lets out a cry of horror, it’s furious red eyes fix on her body as she falls on her butt in front of it, it launches itself over her and she quickly dodges under the bed, taking an arrow and the bow as she comes out from the other side of the bed, some pieces of her broken window sting her in the back and arms, she bits her lips to not let out another cry.

The monster is back to her, she quickly stands feeling how the blood starts running down her wounds, she tights bow’s string with the arrow and aims to its head, it is pure silver, she just have to hit it in the heat and it will die, she just… need to calm down FUCK! Why? Why? She can’t aim right? Her hands won’t stop shaking she’s so… so fucking scared, she had done this before, she just did an hour ago, but…

She shots and misses.

The werewolf turns to her on its massive hind legs and charges against her, it is over.

…….

This is pointless, he has been running in circles for hours, he wishes he could be like Jeremy and bind more often he would have found them already, but he isn’t and now he lost his track, it is three pm and there isn’t a hint of where the wolves might have went.

_Damn it!_

It is full moon day, he can’t let them run free in the town, not again! But what else he can do? And he can’t turn off his radio, there is something disturbing about what they said a couple of hours ago over speaker, apparently an officer was attacked in his house? He wasn’t paying much attention, but it must be definitely related to the deaths in the town, and the unknown werewolf, who is he? Why are they hiding him? Whoever he is definitely isn’t with the ones he following right now.

Chris climbs down on steep terrain, fuck if it wasn’t for this snow he would found them already!

He bends next to a rock, there is something dark on its surface maybe it is blood, he reaches his hand to touch it and his phone starts ringing.

_Damn!_

He takes it out of his pocket and looks at the screen, but it isn’t a call… or text message, it is… an alert! Someone… or something…. Just broke in in his house.

Maybe they, played the fool with him to… to

Oh no Allison!

…….

Maybe he isn’t in the right place, maybe he was so concerned he took the wrong way by mistake, but no… he is not mistaken, or else there wouldn’t have been any debris and there are. The mill façade’s is just a couple of feet away from him.

Stiles hesitantly walks to the ruins feeling how his hearth’s rate quickly rises, the walls are fallen, what remaining pieces that time didn’t take from the mill were now broken sprawled on the floor, all the structure collapse, it is hard to see through the thick cloud of dust that rises before him.

“Scott!’ He cries reaching the debris.

There is no response.

“Scott!” He repeats.

No, no, no, no! _This can’t be happening._

Stiles jumps inside the dust curtain covering his mouth with a hand, Scott needs to be there unconscious by the collapse of the structure, yeah he have to! Or else, or else it will means that Erica was right, that Scott was dangerous… but dangerous enough to kill his own mom?

A shiver runs down his spine, and he kicks away a piece of a rotten joist. It looks like… it is the joist where he left Scott tied, so… He rummages in the floor pushing aside massive wall’s pieces focusing on finding something a clue of what might have happened though it is pretty clear.

He moves aside another piece of concrete and something sparkles through the layers of dirt on the floor, he slowly lowers his hand and takes it, it is a piece of silver, of a silver chain to be more accurate, crushed by the wall pieces…so this is how Scott got to escaped, he made the structure collapse.

This is not happening! Scott, a feral werewolf is out there by his own on a full moon day and he attacked and probably… murdered his mom.

 _Mrs. M_ Stiles thinks with sadness feeling sick to just to the thought of finding her body dismembered in the woods as happened with the lacrosse player.

Stiles puts the piece of chain in his pocket and then an unspeakable force pulls him by the back of his hoodie and tosses him away from the debris.

Stiles holds his breath while the world spins around him making him want to puke, suddenly his back lands in a bank of snow, the impact makes him gasps and a handful of ice gets inside his mouth, he spits it away and rises his head as he stops rolling on the floor, the first thing he sees is the woods in front of him, he’s almost inside the forest which means he was thrown at least five hundred feet, gosh! He can’t believe he’s actually alive.

“Where is he?” A female voice roars at him as a bare foot stamps him in the floor.

Stiles looks up, Erica is staring at him with a grimace, her beautiful face is rosy and dirty, there is dried blood on her blouse and her pants are all shredded.

Stiles moves his neck an intense pain makes him pant, shit what is he going to do know?

“Tell me where is he!” She growls.

“I don’t know, I… don’t know” Stiles moans unable to move a muscle without feeling like minced meat.

“You’re lying, I heard you calling his name!” She points out with a smile, her eyes are out of focus as if she is close to lose her mind, “It is all his fault! We got almost killed, because the hunters think we are the murderers and it is all his fault!” She lets out in a high pitched yell.

The sound pierces Stile’s ears but he isn’t able to stand, he is too sore to fight back, but he needs to get out of there, he needs to break free and escape from Erica.

“If you don’t tell me where is he then I’m gonna have to use you as a hostage until he shows up” The she-wolf threatens, bending to Stiles by the collar of his shirt.

The boy grimaces in pain. There must be something he can do, he shoves his hands in his pocket maybe his phone… something pierces him in his thumb and he recalls it, he just got the remaining pieces of his mom’s silver chain.

“You need to understand that he is dangerous, that we can’t do anything about him, he needs to be put down” The girl tries to mediate with him. “It is only matter of time before he hurts you or someone else he care, he killed a girl a couple of days ago, they hadn’t even find the body yet” Her voice is soft and full of resentment.

Stiles slowly takes the pieces of the silver chain taking the pointy ones between his fingers, preparing to…

 _Shit!_ He thinks, there is something unsetting about her words, besides the fact that she’s talking about murdering Scott there is the problem that he… thinks that maybe she’s right… Scott hut his mom? He killed her, _god please don’t!_ But what if he did?

_No! She’s wrong Scott is not bad Scott is not a bad person!_

_“_ He came after your friend” She says with anger.

_Friend? What friend?_

He holds tight the pieces of silver hurting himself a little though not as much as it will hurt Erica.

“Her dad almost killed us, but he got an alarm from his home, Isaac went after him and saw it, he destroyed her room”

 _Allison?_ He thinks as the spark burst in his chest and lets out short whimper, takes the chain and fastens it against Erica’s cheek he feels how the pointy pieces dig into her skin as she lets out a high pitched cry and shoves him away.

Stiles falls on his back, struggling to breath but it doesn’t stops him from quickly standing and running away from the she-wolf.

“Come back here!” Erica shrills.

Stiles hears her clumsy steps in the snow, he looks back and spots her just inches from him with a hand on her face, the shadow of a tree darkens her face for a brief second and an idea crosses Stiles’ mind.

“What were you thinking? That you could just run away from me?” Erica mocks and stretches a clawed hand to take Stiles.

“Actually I do”

 _Please work, please work, please work!_ Stiles think hoping that Deaton casted back the protection before leaving the woods.

Stiles feels Erica’s finger brushing the material of the collar of his shirt but he was already gone, when he opens his eyes he is in a random place of the woods, sweating cold while his face sways.

Panting he crawls over the snow trying to reach the nearest tree, when he is there he hugs himself to the trunk and gets some fresh air, steps makes him jolt, he looks around and muffles a cry.

Scott, well not actually Scott-Scott but his monstrous self is just feet away back to him, Stiles tries to slowly scoot back but his legs turn to jelly, fuck he was thinking about Scott the moment he decided to play his trick, and now here he is, in front of the creature that has been terrorizing the whole town, one of the most important persons in his life turned into a monster, an evil half-human being that murdered his own mother and the girl he loved.

Stiles grimace as the tears fills his eyes, that is not Scott that is a beast with no feelings or regrets, Erica is right she has always been right, Scott is dangerous he needs to be put down for the sake of everyone, it is the best even though it means to kill his own friend.

His phone rings.

 _Shit I thought it was on buzz!_ He thinks gasping taking it out to discover it is his dad _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ The monster turns on his hind legs and stares at him, its red eyes filled with fury and rage.

Were-Scott lets out a loud growl, and Stiles falls on his butt, there is nothing he can do now… he will die… he will die just like Dr. D said, the death might come after him any time has been chasing him all this time it even killed his mom in its attempts to reach him, it is… over?

Stiles stands with big effort as the creature furiously charges against him, Stiles looks back and gets it all now, behind him is the cliff, the place from where he fell on Halloween, the place where Scott wouldn’t have followed them because… because Dr. D said that werewolves’ molecular structure is pretty heavy, the shock of the intense coldness against their natural hot body mixed with their heavy bones might…

Stiles launches himself upward and starts running, he can’t use his trick anymore, Derek and Deaton warned him already he might die in his attempt and he have already used it multiple times in the last twelve hours.

He’s going to die, he knows it now, fate brought him to a dead, but he can’t die trying to escape if his Dr. D is right and his death is inevitable he is going to die fighting, for releasing his friend from his curse and also himself from his, he won’t die on Allison’s arms maybe the fate will change now that Scott and him will die right now.

He runs faster though his body aches violently with every stride he feels like he’s being ripped in pieces on the floor and can almost feel Scott’s breath on his neck but he won’t give up, he won’t, he had made a decision and maybe he’s going to die but will on his own terms and not just because death’s twisted caprice.

The only thing he regrets is being forced to do this without being able to see his dad one last time and tell him how much he sorry this, to tell him that he will tell him that he doesn’t have to crumble and mourn for him, to tell him that he has to live and continue with his life that his mom and him will take care of him wherever he goes, but he doesn’t have time left the cliff is only steps ahead and Scott is already on his back.

Stiles stops to a halt in the edge of the cliff and turns on his heels just in the moment Scott launches himself toward him, Stiles jumps and surround Scott’s brown furred body with his arms fastening himself tight to him while he whirls in the air as his friend’s strength takes them both of the wood.

There is a second where his stomach jumps on his insides and them plunges down, the emptiness fills him as the strong breeze of their fall disorient him, his falling to meet his dead, but at least he’s doing it with his friend, he’s happy to be with Scott in his last moments, it gives a new level to the phrase together until the end he only regrets his friend is conscious of what is going to happen in just milliseconds.

The lake’s frozen shallow cracks with a glass-like sound and then the icy water swallows them both, it is so cold that Stiles lets out a cry of pain when his body sinks in, feeling it’s pressure all over his body, knocking the air out of him, his head starts aching and his back. Scott is twitches like a headless snake, throwing his massive arms and legs in all directions. Stiles approaches him and surround his friend’s neck with his hands, he’s crying while he’s doing it, he can’t believe things were going to end like this, but there isn’t another choice.

It takes all his remaining strength to keep Scott down it his attempts to break free and get air, Stile’s lungs are burning and he has to fight back the urgency to give up and swim up, he craves for air, he needs it so desperately but he can’t do it, he needs to be strong and put an end to all this, it will be over soon.

A leg comes out of nowhere punching Stiles in his stomach and he’s thrown back by his amazing force, the back of his head hits the hard rock of the cliff, he feels something warm on the hurt spot and then everything becomes black.

…….

Something cold and tiny hits her in her forehead and she grimaces, it slips down her cheek as a bitter tear, slowly opens her eyes and squints, everything is dark and she lays over a stark surface. Melissa jerks up and her crown hits the roof, she bits her lip and fights back her tears, where is she? How she ended up here? She can’t remember anything, next to her something moves and she holds her breath, it is a body.

She slowly reaches her hand at her left, there is person next to her, the body is scarcely warm and moist as Melissa’s clothes, actually the whole ground is wet and cold as if she were lying in a bed made of ice, black ice, she can see a light ahead in the form of a misshaped door a guttural entrance.

She crawls to the person next to her who lays facedown, has long black and curly hair, it is a girl, there is something familiar about her… Melissa carefully makes her roll on her stomach to take a look of her face below poor light that comes from the entrance.

It is longshot’s daughter, which was her name? She can’t remember now, her mind is too cloudy and she still struggles to recall something, anything that might give her a hint of where they are and how they ended up in there, but there is nothing, it is all blank.

“Hey” She says with a raspy voice shaking the girl’s shoulder.

She’s breathing, she can feel it but… she can’t stop feeling uneasy, what if she is wounded? She won’t be able to see any wound in this darkness, maybe she should drag her near the entrance to make sure she is alright.

“Hey” She repeats shaking her again, oh god! What the hell happened?

Her hand goes to her belt, her gun is in its sheath but she can feel her radio anywhere nor her phone, if she could only remember…

She moved! Longshot’s girl moved!

The girl slowly rises a hand and takes her face where she brushes her eyes before opening them, thank god!

“Where? Where am I?” The girl says in a mutter, her eyes swaying as if she has a contusion.

“I’m not sure” Melissa says with sadness.

Longshot’s daughter suddenly jolts and Melissa can her a thud, then the girl gasps, she must have hit her head too. They are on an uneven dark place with a low ceiling and an odd entrance ahead, the ground is stark and dirty she knows this is impossible but there isn’t another explanation, they are in a cave, but how?

“I think it is a cave” She explains her theory reluctantly.

“A cave?” The girl says with fear in her voice, “How did I get… You… you are Scott’s mom!” Almost accuses.

Melissa nods, “Can you remember anything?” Asks hoping the girl might give her a clue of how in the hell they ended up here.

“I’m not sure, I remember I was at home taking a bath, nothing more”

“What is your name?” Melissa says a little embarrassed.

“Allison” The girl replies tiresome.

Right Allison, she remembers now, “Alright, Allison do you have your phone with you?”

The girl slowly jerks making sure to not hit her crown again and quickly checks up her body, “I’m sorry, I don’t”

_Damn!_

“It is alright, we’re getting out of here, someone must be looking for us already, for now we need to know where we are and see if we can find a way out”

The girl nods and both get squat, slowly moving toward the light, there are drops of cold water falling from the ceiling in every spot it only serves to confirm Melissa’s idea that they might be inside a cave. The entrance is a short misshaped square from where she can see snow in the ground outside.

She turns to Allison and puts her hand in her sheath.

“I’ll make sure we can come out, if I tell you to run get out and run as fast as you can from here you hear me?”

The girl shape’s nods.

Melissa takes a deep breath and tugs her gun out of its holster before getting her head out to the light.

The first thing she can see is the snow, white snow everywhere then a grayish surface that makes her realize they are in the lake, a cave near the lake? She didn’t know there was a cave in here, the sky is stained with red so the night won’t last to fall over the town.

Melissa shoves a hand back in the cave and beckons Allison to come out, she feel the girl showing up back to her while she makes sure that they are alone, her gun always she looks at the lake and both sides.

Allison lets out a muffled cry.

Melissa jolts and cranes her neck toward the direction where the girl is looking, it takes her a minute or so to get what she’s looking for, it is a little far so she has to squint to get a better view of two shapes in the shore of the lake, Melissa hurries to run toward them with her gun in hand.

None of this makes any sense, whoever kidnapped them why didn’t take out her gun? The last thing, the last thing she remembers is… her home… blood on the stairs and Scott… Scott.

“It is Stiles!” Allison cries pointing ahead.

Melissa pants as the air is dragged out of her lungs by the impression, Stiles is lying on his back just feet away from them, there is blood on his face all his body is drenched as if he were swimming in the lake and in top of him… is a shockingly large black wolf with glowing amber eyes and its head bent over the boy’s face while it licks Stiles’ crown.

It is… a monster… just like the white one she saw with Stiles last night, and now Stiles is… Stiles is… Oh god!

Melissa rises her gun high, points at the wolf’s massive head, and pulls the trigger.

…….

Something wet and warm brushes his forehead and an orange light pierces his eyelids, Stiles grimaces and opens his eyes almost lifeless, on top of him there is a blurry dark shape with the form of a dog, not half-breed beast but an actual… wolf with… with amber eyes.

“Scott?” He asks in an unintelligible voice even to himself, he can feel a stunning cold breeze in his crown even colder than the snow where he lays.

A thunder cracks making his ears whistle.

Stiles jerks up suddenly while he hears a wail and the creature that threats his wound scoots.

Before them are the shadows of two women, one of them is pointing at them with what looks like a gun, it takes a second to recognize her, is… Mrs. M? She is alive, a wave of relief takes over him and Stiles has to fight back the tears he’s so dizzy, the memories start coming back to his mind, they were dead, then he tried to murder his best friend, they should be dead they should be, but they are not and Scott now is a wolf and real wolf not a feral half-beast but a…

There is another shot and the wolf behind him lets out a loud whimper.

Stiles looks a Mrs. M, she looks as shocked as he must be right now, even Allison doesn’t look like herself, when their eyes meet the spark makes Stiles whirl in pain as his chest burst and he falls on his knees, it is getting stronger.

“No” He gasps in a mutter, his eyes swaying, fuck! He is not strong enough, he feels lifeless and fatigued.

Another shot, this time the wolf’s voice crack almost humanly as scoots even father wailing.

“No!” Stiles screams, it is so awful he can’t stand it, she is hurting him.

Stiles looks back, his friend is bleeding, his now wolf’s black head is splattered with blood though he can see how the bullets pop out of it while the wound quickly heals it is something amazing and sad by the grimace in Scott’s face –If that really is Scott of course-

Stiles looks at Mrs. M, her mouth is gaping as she looks stunned at the bullets coming out of his son’s head almost as if they were bouncing balls thrown at him.

“No!” Stiles screams louder, standing again feeling how his body fights to stay conscious.

“Stiles!” Scott’s mom cries hesitating before stepping closer to him “Come here!”

“No!” Stiles yells, “Leave him alone! I promise he won’t hurt you, he won’t hurt you!”

“Stiles!” Allison intervenes, there is something in her eyes he can’t place what, recognition? Fear? Anger? Pain? She is a puzzle the only thing he can clearly see is her utter concern, she’s worried about him, he knew, he knew Dr. D was wrong, she won’t hurt him, ever.

There is another shot and Scott falls to his side, Mrs. M and Stiles exchange confused stares, she didn’t fire that one, they are both sure of it.

A man’s shadow quickly comes out of Stiles’ back from the top of the cliff and lands over Scott’s body.

Stiles turns on his heels as fast as he can, his head spinning and he almost faints.

“No!” He yells.

The man who wears a long black coat shoves a hand in one of his pockets and then places it in the back of the wolf’s hear, there is an ear-piercing moan and a buzzing, Stiles has to cover his ears to protect them though he can clearly hear the whistling in his hear mixed with unintelligible cries coming from Allison.

Suddenly everything stops and Stiles looks at the man who pin’s the wolf’s contorting body on the floor, it is Allison’s father with his face sweaty and dirty his clothes are all shredded and wet.

“Dad!” Allison cries.

“Leave him alone!” Stiles launches himself over the man but he quickly spins on his place and stamps a kick in the pit of Stiles’ stomach making him fly backwards while the air is dragged out of his lungs and he falls on his back.

“Longshot!” He hears Scott’s mom voice say. “What are you doing here? What is all this?”

“Get out of here!” The man orders with a harsh command, but from his point of view Stiles can see that none of them move.

Stiles stands panting, feeling how his eyes open and close constantly, but he can’t let him hurt, Scott if he poisons… Scott.

“Leave him alone” He cries again charging against the man.

There is a growl that mixes with the wolf’s moan and another dark shape jumps from the same spot from where Chris Argent came falling over the man, both rolling on the ground.

The women cry things, Stiles cranes his neck, Scott’s mom grip on the gun is tight but she can’t hold her aim, she’s losing it. Stiles looks again at his back where Chris Argent struggles with Derek?

Derek grunts and pushes the man away running toward the wolf’s whirling body but there isn’t an overgrown wolf laying on the floor, instead it is a naked human, a naked Scott McCall.

Chris Argent stops short and Stiles looks at his left, where Melissa McCall is standing still with her eyes wide open and openmouthed.

Her gun falls from her hand and she crumbles on the floor, quickly her breathing hitches and she starts gaging, tears coming out of her eyes in rivers while she stares in horror at her naked son.

Allison steps back, her whole body trembling until she stumbles with a rock and falls to the floor her eyes are out of their orbits, it looks like her head is about to explode.

_No, this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening!_

“Him?” Chris Argent’s voice takes everybody out of their dismay. “He is just a kid! You son of the bitch!” The man cries furious shooting against Derek.

The pack leader dodges the shots and quickly appears behind the binder throwing him back with a kick.

Stiles takes his chance to approach Scott, as his friend already opens his eyes and rejoins his face crisped in pain.

There are more shots, Stiles takes Scott from his arm and uses all his strength to pull him away from the fight.

“You are okay, you didn’t kill them Scott! You didn’t” Stiles says with happiness as the tears fills his eyes.

“S…Sco…Scott?” Allison mumbles from her place watching them both.

Oh god! What the hell are they going to do? Fuck!

“Take him out of here!” Derek orders dodging more gun shots.

_More easy to say than do it._

Stiles drags Scott as near as his mom as he can, while the woman just lays there on her knees staring at them in silence without moving a muscle, it is so hard to watch her in such state.

“Hurry!” Derek growls.

Stiles feels a hand pulling them back, he cranes his neck and his eyes meets Allison’s father furious face watching him with despise, as he takes his gun with his free hand and points at Scott.

There is a white noise sound and then a voice comes out of the man’s belt, and everybody suddenly jerks up listening to the voice that comes out of the radio.

“All the units, I need reinforcements, I just have been attacked at maple Street by an unknown creature there is a dead boy, repeat there is dead boy I need reinforcements”

Everything suddenly stops, even Allison’s father grasp loosens, and Derek and the hunter stare at Scott openmouthed, and then Stiles gets it.

“It wasn’t you” Stiles says shocked, “It never was you, it was all a trap!”

“What?” Chris Argent says confused, “If it wasn’t him, then… who murdered those boys?”


	15. WAR CRY

XV

WARCRY

 

 

 

 

The sun hits her in the eyes and she squints, through a thick a fog that clouds her mind she can see them, she can hear them but not well there is a blow, a whistle in her ears making her want to screen, it is all what she gets now… no sense, the world is upside down and she is fighting to stay on foot while the emptiness of an open and dark sky threatens to swallow her whole just as it did with her life.

She can see Derek Hale, the man who should have been dying somewhere inside a weird man’s house, the same who murdered his mom standing next to her dad, the man who feed her with lies and rose her faceless both staring to a third, Stiles. Her friend is there with his eyes lost in the lake she can almost see the engages turning inside him, he is the boy who makes the spark burst inside her, the one with who she has an odd connection that everyday seems for rare to her, he is the boy who saves murderers and casts binds and holds…

He holds Scott who eyes are on the floor, on the snow the red stained ice, drenched with blood, his blood and Stiles’ he stares at it and don’t moves, he is shock his body doesn’t even shake though the air is brisk and his body is naked, long lines of fog rise from his shoulders, from his face and she can see the hand with which Stiles holds him, burning red by the heat of his body because Scott is no a normal boy, he is twisted demon brought from the darkest nightmares that haunted her once. He is the most dangerous thing a girl could in the world, a fanged beast with a beautiful smile. And she fell for his game, and for his dad’s game and Stile’s all the people she once believed and trusted weren’t real anymore, now she only can see this slender dark shapes looking into each other’s eyes, exchanging unintelligible information, plotting about something without worrying that all of them lied, lied and pretended to be someone else in front of her.

Just steps from her is a crumbled body, what remains of a mother, she is now just a human, Allison could hear the exact moment when her heart broke, it was in the exact time when her eyes swept over the naked body of the boy she used to love… Love how funny world, the thought of it makes her feel weird it has an odd spelling and it is supposed to be greatest feeling in the world and from which all the others are reign, and she loved that boy, no, now she knows she never did, because she doesn’t know what love is, because she never has felt love in her life, at least not from her dad not from Stiles and definitely not from Scott.

He was the thing now she knows, he was the thing she saw in the woods in that rave party months ago, he was the beast that hunt her and Stiles that distant and scary night, and chased her in her dreams and nightmares, he is the creature who took her here today and threw her inside that cave as a feral animal in a cage –how ironic- He is the monster and he is the body, is it possible to crave for something? And be afraid of it at the same time? It doesn’t make sense but there is only one place where she would like to be right now and it is at the same time the thing that frightens her the most.

She failed her shot, and she is alive but he was going to kill her, he was going to kill her as the way he killed those boys, no… Stiles just said it is a misunderstanding, he just said it was a mistake, but it is impossible there can’t be any more surprises awaiting for her, she feels like she just shipwrecked that nothing can get worse but it keeps doing it and she keeps falling all this journey is taking her to a place where is no turning back.

Scott rises his head and she can see his eyes, amber glowing inside the shadow casted from his own head back to the sky, and Stiles’ slender shape that holds him while he talks with the murderer and the liar, there is a gleam inside the boy-monster eyes that she doesn’t understand far beyond from his shining eyes there are some tears about to slide down his cheeks and then he parts his lips and a raspy voice comes out of his mouth.

“Mom” He says hoarsely, half of his naked body is sunk in the snow yet Allison can see the shame on his eyes while he speaks to his mother.

It happens so fast that Allison doesn’t have a chance to react, he reaches a hand toward the woman though Stiles at him are too far from them and heap of flesh and clothes jerks up and a guttural screech comes out of her mouth, it is high pitched and accompanied by an agitated breathing.

Scott’s mom stands and her son struggles to break free from Stiles’ grasp, the boy-monster jerks his head up and his eyes meets Allison’s then everything comes down.

Scott’s mother turns her back and starts running away.

“Mom!” Scott cries with a broken voice.

“Stay away from me!” The woman shrieks before disappearing.

It isn’t until Allison hears Scott and her father’s voice calling at her name that she realizes that she running that she is escaping away from her dad lies and Stiles theories, from Derek’s healthy body and Scott’s glowing eyes, and of course from herself away as she can from the person she doesn’t recognize anymore and from who she can’t escape.

…….

His mind is cloudy, the words of Mrs. M got him in a trance, everything went suddenly silent and now all the memories start coming back to his brain…he… is alive, he isn’t dead he isn’t dead, he was going to tough but he didn’t, his mouth is slightly open his lower lip trembling, he was willing to die to give everything for Scott, for the town to change the fate of everybody in there, he can’t actually believe he gave up so easily and now he is startled, stunned, lost in his memories.

The kick in his stomach, that painful strike that expelled him backwards and cracked the back of his head, there is no pain no blood, Scott licked it away, now he is fine he isn’t even cold, his clothes are still drenched but he is warm as if he just bathed in hot water… it was Scott he protected him with his body, kept him warm and took care of his wounds, he was being a hero even when he was in the shape of a monster he was doing all his best to save him… Scott wasn’t he never was, he took his mom and Allison here…. That place in front of them, that hidden cave…

He was… He was trying to hide them from… from someone else… the real enemy. Now the last hours and months start coming to his mind backwards as a movie in rewind, he never hurt Stiles, he never tried…. He was…

“Scott” Stiles mutters startled.

His friend gets out of his grasp.

Stiles hurries to take out of his hoodie and t-shirt to cover Scott’s nakedness, he can’t believe he actually turned into a whole wolf, it was amazing he conquered the inner wolf, he won the battle inside himself.

“My mom” Scott snivels.

Stiles can see the tears in his eyes, it is heartbreaking Mrs. M’s words, how she said them, how she meant them, how can a mother say those words to her own son?

“Scott” He says breathless finishing to put on the shirt on his stunned best friend “Listen to me buddy, listen to me”

Scott’s eyes are fixed on the same spot where his mom was just minutes ago with… Allison… Allison saw them she saw everything and left, what those that mean? Oh god! This is not okay this is not okay, she doesn’t understand what is going on, but there is no time, he can’t think right now about Scott’s mom or Allison, they ran out of time, the full moon is two hours away and someone… a boy…. Already died.

“Scott” He tries again holding him, his extremely hot body burning Stiles when he touches him, it is overwhelming and somehow pleasant now that his chest is bare against the chilling air.

“Listen, do you remember something anything about the deaths?”

“What do you mean?” Derek says suddenly

Stiles almost jumps on his feet after hearing Derek’s voice, he almost forget he is there with them, when he shall be at Deaton’s healing.

“He brought his mom and Allison here to hide them, to protect them from someone else, deep inside he always knew, he always knew who was doing this but only his wolf side was aware of the truth” Stiles explains.

“Is that truth?” Derek demands.

Scott nods.

“What do you remember?” Allison’s father demands angrily, he looks as shocked as the rest of them.

“Blood” Scott says hoarsely “Blood and screams, laughs and monsters, shaggy monsters”

“The night… the first boy died…” Derek says thoughtful “You were with me”

“I don’t remember” Scott replies listless.

“I do remember” Stiles agree “It was in the rave, you were with Isaac and Derek”

“This doesn’t make any sense” Chris Argent says angrily.

Stiles can hear his hand grip on his gun, god he hates this guy!

“A boy died that night, but…” Derek starts.

“The police said that he was dead before the party started” Stiles mumbles getting everything now “But before the party Scott was at home, I saw him at home”

“So indeed was someone else?” Chris asks reluctantly.

“Vernon” Derek says to himself gaping, “Vernon… he was… he wasn’t with us that night”

Oh shit!

“It was them! It was always them!” Stiles says taken aback.

Derek steps back and opens his mouth, a furious growl escapes from his mouth making Stiles shiver, his eyes are glowing an electric blue and there is an scary grimace in his face… he is a monster… he is a wild beast… he needs to get out of there… to get away from those people… but he can’t, he can’t do that.

“Take him home” Derek orders angrily, “Getting him some clothes and tie him”

Stiles nods openmouthed.

“Use a silver chain” Chris Argent advises Stiles while the boy starts hauling Scott’s arm around his neck. “Make sure he doesn’t escape, tonight is full moon and if I run into him… I don’t care if he didn’t kill anyone I’m gonna slid a knife through his chest and end with all this madness”

Stiles swallows hard and quickly starts pacing away from them, god Scott is so heavy! And Stiles is so dizzy and tired he’s not going to be able to…

They fell.

Before Stile’s forehead hits the snow, someone grabs him by the collar of his shirt.

“I’ll take him home” Offers hauling Scott’s exhausted body over his shoulder and disappearing from Stiles’ sight in seconds.

“I thought it was you” Chris Argent says with a deep voice. “I thought that maybe it was you who were behind the murders”

Stiles stops short.

“There is something I don’t like about you kid” The man grunts “You better stay out of trouble”

When Stiles turns the man is already gone.

…….

Her legs ache, she has been running for forty minutes or so, her face is damp with sweat and tears and her surroundings keep changing randomly, this doesn’t make any sense, since yesterday something an uncertainty has been growing in her chest, she’s not sure where she is anymore, she can’t put words on it but the forest isn’t the same it has been enlarging and changing the last months, she has been noticing it for a while but she can’t deny it anymore something is different about this place, she was used to come here, she knows the woods as her own hand but now… she is lost, lost in the place of her childhood as same as she is a person.

The hair, the muzzle… she saw the monster turn into a human, her mind stopped working since that instant that brief second when it passed from being a feral animal licking the wounds from a fainted Stiles to become a teen age boy, her own son.

The thought of Scott makes her heart to shudder, she stumbles with a massive root, she tries to stay standing but she is so exhausted, she hasn’t sleep in a while and now her body won’t respond to her, she falls to the cold snowy ground and gasps a handful of snow comes into her mouth and she starts rolling down the steep soil, the world spinning in flashes of the sky and ice, her eyes sways from them until everything vanishes and now she is falling over memories, painful ones.

Her son, all what she can think now is her son, her beautiful baby who now is a grown man with his olive skin and his amber eyes, his charming smile and his heartbreaking feelings that melt all the girls and makes her feel proud of him, that same boy the biggest thing in her life, isn’t a toddler anymore, who is he? What happened to him?

Who did she saw by the cave? It was a wild but naïve creature that whimpered with its eyes on her, in awe and astonishment while her bullets dug in his head turning the world crimson and wet, the thick liquid that spilled from the wounds as they instantly started healing, would the wounds in his heart heal sometime?

She said it, she said, she screamed it, she told him to stay him when he tried to reach, her mind betrayed her the fear was stronger and made her deny her motherhood and authority over the boy that once rested on her lap in long darks night of winter crying over imaginaries monsters that haunted his dream and won’t let peacefully sleep anyone in the block.

And she failed, and she lied and she became a monster, she promised to love him no matter what, she was committed to take care of him and stay by his side until the moment of her last breath as any other mother would do but she just quit her job the only one that any woman can never left, she renounced to it the moment she aimed her gun against her own son’s muzzle? She is a monster, she is a terrible mother and she is done.

She can feel the cold asphalt in her forehead, she is in the town, though her eyes are closed she can almost see the cars stopping and hear the people’s screams watching her body crumpled in the middle of the street, a fallen officer covered in snow, dirt and the creature she has been so desperately looking’s blood, her son’s.

A warm hand gently places its fingers on her wrist probably looking for her pulse, she doesn’t know how she got to the town and how many time has passed since the instant she fell, she is still lost in her memories and her throat is so dry she can’t dare to part her lips to tell the nice person who found her that is fine, that would lie… she is not fine she hasn’t been fine for a while at the last hour just proved it to her.

With the poor strength she has left manages to slightly open her eyes, not enough for her rescuer to notice that she is conscious but enough to see a blurry face in front of her clouded by a grey mist, as colorless as the world itself and the cries of horror of the people among them, she can’t tell what they are saying but in her mind she imagines their voices disowning her existence for what she has done, for the words of that she said…for… the bullets that she shot and they are right.

Her belly jumps while her body is hauled by strong hands as her back and the rest of her body miss the cold touch of the frozen asphalt, she is being taken somewhere a place where she can rest she hopes, where she can lay and wake up in a world where no one this ever happened.  

…….

Damn it! This have been one of the most hard and good days in his life, his hike had taken fifty minutes now but finally he is out of the woods, he wished he could have distorted the binding in the woods again to come out sooner but he so sore and hurtful he was afraid his body wouldn’t be able to resist, he is done with suicidal attempts it is more than enough to actually have tried in the same place where just months ago everyone though he actually did try it.

Walking toward the mill outside the west side of the wood is complicated, the zone is steeper than usual and his legs hurt so much he is afraid they might fail him anything making him fall, he is that if he falls he won’t be able to stand for a while and the less he needs now is be found half naked and unconscious in the middle of the woods, no, he needs to save strength to escape in case Erica and Vernon are out here somewhere watching him, preparing for attack if they have been set up traps for Scott all this time they wouldn’t doubt to use him or anyone close to Scott as targets for their plan, it makes sense now, it explains why Scott kidnapped his mom and Allison, he pretended to hide them because he knew they might go after them, whatever lives inside Scott call it subconscious or instincts is pretty smart.

Finally he gets a glimpse of his jeep, he thought that by this moment he might have ran into Erica or Vernon and his life would be in danger yet he is not afraid, he probably lost the ability of being surprised again to not mention to feel fear for dying, no he lost his fear for death the moment he understood which were his priorities and that probably the lives of thousands of people depended of his own even if that meant to break his dad’s heart forever, but he doesn’t want to think about it for now he is too tired and concerned about Scott to even think about his possibly eminent death in hands of one of his best friends, again, damn this town is really sick, he can’t actually believe he was happy to come back just months ago.

Finally reaches his jeep and climbs up, amazingly the keys are still on his pockets and Erica didn’t do anything to his car, great! At least she didn’t try to fuck him as much as they had already.

Tugs his keys out of his pockets and… oh god no! His phone, his phone is heavy in drenched, there are water drops falling from all its orifices, oh another phone dead by that damn cliff oh his dad is going to freak out! HIS DAD! Shit! He must be freaking out by now oh fuck he is so much trouble, if one of his friends doesn’t kill him tonight his dad will definitely do.

He turns on the engine resigned, everything is so wrong! Well at least the heater works or else he might die of coldness in his own car that would have been definitely worse than dying on Scott or Allison’s hands, the world is opening he can feel it, it is expanding and morphing becoming a mass of uneasiness he can actually feel its feelings it is screaming, crying as the only way it can, through the wind, what might be saying the creatures in the wind right now? The air is agitated and brisk it’s like a horizontal rain of knives, it is good to be inside his car right now the voices are signing a song of death that is about to come to the town, he can feel it in his bones.

Now that he is in his neighborhood there are certain things that hadn’t change since he left a couple of hours ago, everyone is in the same spot where they were standing while the police did their research inside Scott’s house, all the neighbors are still gathered behind the barricade line gossiping about it, thought the police is gone, how? Why they left? Well Scott attacked Allison’s house too so… what might the police be thinking right now about what is going on in the town? What they guess about it?

When he stops the car in his garage and climbs down he can hear the talk of two ladies just steps away from him.

“No in Maddison near the power station” The short and fat lady says to the slender one.

“Power Station?” Replies the other one in shock. “How did she ended up in the power station?”

“Not inside” Fat lady corrects her “She was in the street, covered by snow and leaves the people said they saw her rolling down the hill”

Slender lady muffles a whimper with her hand “How awful” Says putting her other hand in her chest “Is she alright?”

“She is uncurious, they took her to the hospital”

“And her son?” Asks the thin.

“No one has seen him, they looked for him at school and he wasn’t there and….” Fat lady stops, and her eyes and Stiles’ meet, “You!” She says almost accusingly looking at him.

Her scream of excitement makes the rest of the neighbors at crane their necks toward him gaping.

“What do you know?” The fat woman hurried to interrogate him as she pushed her friend aside to approach Stiles as fast as her piggy legs lets her.

Stiles shakes his head, they are repulsive they are enjoining the whole thing as if it is Hollywood’s new blockbuster, Stiles turns on his heels he hears the people’s whispers about why he is shirtless, he hugs his bare chest to protect himself from the cold air and strides toward his house.

“Hey! Wait!” Some voices call him from his back.

“Tell me! Have you seen them? Do you know what happened?” Fat lady’s groggy voice demanded at his back.

Stiles opens the front door and slams it shut behind him taking a deep breath to try to calm his nerves.

“Finally” Derek says sharply in front of him.

…….

The light stings her eyes and she grimaces before fluttering them open, she is laying over a comfortable surface and surrounded by an overwhelming whiteness, she feels like floating on clouds and for a brief second she is someone else and doesn’t remember anything.

“She is awake” An unfamiliar voice says.

Melissa presses her eyes together and tries to stand, the ceiling darkens suddenly by a large and bold shape. “You are fine” Says the voice of a man with warmness on his voice.

“Where… where am I?” She asks to the man and looks around, everything is so white, so clean….where?

“You are in the hospital” The man explains.

She recognizes that voice. “Sheriff” She breathless making a big effort to sit, her chest aches and there is something attached to her arm stinging it.

_Hospital?_

“What… what happened?” Melissa says with a raspy voice, her throat is sore and raw as if she has been screaming for hours… but why?

She jolts on her bed and looks at the man straight in the eye… Scott…her Scott… her son… her…

“I was going to ask you the same” The Sheriff replies with a grin that makes her mustache to trickle “Don’t push yourself” Advises.

“I…I...” Melissa starts, the pain starts coming back to her mind, the darkness of the hidden cave before the lake inside the forest. The cold water drops against her forehead, longshot’s daughter fainted next to her, and Stiles, Stiles lying on the red stained blood with a large beast…licking up his…

Her heart skips a beat, Scott!

Melissa suddenly looks up and her eyes and the sheriff’s meet, she feels anxious and stressful her heart races and she can hear it in the bipping monitor next to her bed, the sheriff will know, the sheriff will know if she doesn’t… calm… down.

“What happened” The Sheriff asks.

Melissa snorts in her insides, what happened? Lots of things happened, first of all she discovered that her son was somehow related to the murders that have been happening in the town the last months, the same cases that him ordered to close, or maybe he wants to know about how she found the blood in her home and was kidnaped and thrown inside a cave, or maybe he is asking about her son who was a monster one second and then a boy the next one.

Melissa closes her eyes and fights her tears back, he will know he will know, Oh god her heart! Her heart is out of control, she can feel the sheriff’s eyes on her, drilling in her thoughts trying to get an answer, he wants to know, that is what he asking for he wants to find out the reason she shot her own baby… her own son and how… how he managed to heal.

“I… can’t remember” She lies lamely, not daring to look at the man in the eye, suddenly she realizes they are alone in that room.

“You don’t remember the attack?” The sheriff wanders.

There is something is his tune, she can feel it, he knows she shot Scott he knows she is a terrible mother, she will be put in jail, and they will know her son is a murderer that he…

No, a memory comes to her mind a cloudy and distant memory about Stiles telling something, she can’t put the words straight in her head, but she can recall the meaning of the message, he said Scott was good, he said her son was alright, but why then? Why her son is a monster? That… no… it have to be the drugs… maybe she hit her head and everything is just part of a bad dream, it have to be it have to be a misunderstanding, how can a boy shape-shift? It doesn’t make any sense, yes it have to be it, it is just that, no… no she saw it she felt it, she knows she is right she will never forget the big amber eyes staring at her in awe in fear, heartbroken because of what she has done!

“I was attacked” She affirms, pushing away the memories of her house’s stairs covered in blood.

“Do you know who attacked you?” The sheriff says arching a brow.

There is a patronizing grin on his face, that same he wore every time she tried to explain her theories at him and he pretended he was listening just to tell her later that the cases were closed.

He wants a direct answer and now she have to tell him that there are estrange creatures in the town, furred beast that can take shape of children and some others that took the shape of loving mothers to then fire bullets to defenseless boys right in their heads, she most tell him she have to go to jail for what she has done!

“It was a rabid dog” She lies and a pang of guilt stabs her in the chest.

“A rabid dog?” The sheriff frowns.

Oh god! Why he doesn’t buy it? He bought it once, when the second boy died on Halloween.

“Are you sure Agent McCall?”

She nods.

“There was blood in your home” He points out.

“I… I shot it” She replies shakily. The words shot and it makes something squirm inside her, somehow she is telling the truth, somehow she is lying but she has to protect her sel... Son. She is a monster, a wounded beast that doesn’t know how to take decisions, she doesn’t know who she is anymore she is lost and terrified and this man can’t know it.

“Did it die?”

She shakes her head and then stops, which is the right answer? “I… I don’t know it ran after me…and I…” She hesitates. “I got out of my house...” Pretends to trying to reach a fussy memory and memory she knows isn’t real at all.

“I ran and it followed me”

“To the forest” The sheriff suggests.

She nods.

“I ran into the woods and it ran after me, it was wounded so I hid for a while and when I thought I was safe it came back I ran it came after me and I threw it into the lake”

“It’s dead then” The sheriff smiles, his eyes fixed on Melissa.

She doesn’t dare to look back into them, but there is something uneasy, scary… she feels like a criminal trapped in the interrogation room.

“I guess” She lies.

“Where is your son?” He asks sternly.

Her heart skips a beat, where is her son? That is a good question. The last time she saw Scott he was naked kneeling on the snow looking at her as shocked as the way she looked back at him, she was recovering from the wounds she inflicted in his forehead, he should be dead but he wasn’t now the question is… would it be better if he was death? Something bitter cold stabs her in her chest and she has to do her beast to not let her breathing get out of control, she can’t she must be strong, she is an officer and she is a mother there isn’t human being more strong than a single mother who also is an officer.

“He… I… I left him at school” Melissa says straightening her voice with every word.

“Are you sure?” He asks and their eyes meet.

She feels a pang in the stomach. He knows! He have to know or else…

“I’m sure, I left him in school” She affirms with stark look, he’s making her doubt, she knows his game she can’t let him get into her mind, and she can’t.

“We came looking for him after your neighbors called” The sheriff starts without changing his tone. “He wasn’t there”

 _Oh god!_ “What?” She says scandalized “he bailed school?”

“Calm down McCall” He orders sternly “You have nothing to worry about, kids at his age do this kind of stuffs all the time” He assures “I’m sure he will come here to visit you anytime, then you can ground him”

 _Yeah right_ she thinks sarcastically.

The sheriff stands and Melissa lets come out of her lungs the gulp of air she didn’t know she was holding.

“I’m glad you are okay” The sheriff says standing before the door, his hand on the handle “You better get some rest, it have been a long day for all of us and the night is just about to fall” Finishes and slowly closes the door behind him.

His voice echoes inside her head, his last words… something is about to happen, and it is related to her Scott.

…….

“What do you mean with finally?” Stiles says irate.

Derek glares at him.

“I had to walk the whole way down from the woods I can’t move as fast as you”

“I don’t have time for this” Derek grunts passing by Stiles and looking through window.

Scott is standing before him all dirty and wearing Stiles’ shirt and red hoodie, his head is down his eyes empty staring into the darkness of his friend’s foyer.

“How you managed to get him in here?” Stiles asks a little surprise but too much.

“I’m fast” Derek replies without looking at him. The wolf scoots back quickly faces him.

“Do you have a plan?” The boy asks a hesitating before reaching Scott.

Derek nods “I’m gonna kill them”

Stiles isn’t shocked he knows how moody Derek is but the way the words come out of his tight pressed mouth makes him realize of how cold hearted he is sometimes, enough to kill his own friends without a doubt, it overwhelms Stiles and scares him a bit, Scott is lucky they are both lucky that Derek hadn’t decide to kill them. At least not yet.

“Isaac hadn’t see them, they split after Argent came after them” The wolf says thoughtful.

“Isaac is on our side?” Stiles asks with some relief in his voice, he thought Isaac maybe was part of the plot. “I don’t get it, why they did all this?”

“Because of me” Derek says and then starts moving fast from every corner.

Stiles has to do a big effort to keep his pace, he must do it though he doesn’t want to leave Zombie-Scott alone but they need to be ready Erica and Vernon may be anywhere stalking them from the shadows.

“Wolves are greedy, they fancy the power as much as humans do, I think they did all this to get after me, I didn’t listen to them when they told me we were running out of time” Explains while he squints through the kitchen’s filthy windows.

God Stiles needs to clean up the house, it is a total mess!

“It is true you know? The wolves, they will be here soon” Stiles points out. What are they going to do without Erica and Vernon? They need them if Derek’s plan have a chance to really work.

Before he has time to react Derek is over him, his blue eyes glowing in the scarce sunrays that filter inside the room, night is already here. “What do you know?” The bold werewolf asks staring straight at him, his sight coming through Stiles as if he has a mind control skill that keeps Stiles standing still and sweating while he waits for the beast-guy to chop his throat with his teeth if he doesn’t give him an answer.

“I…I” He starts fighting to break the eye contact and steady his heartbeat. “Deaton said they might be here in weeks or a couple of months”

“What else did he tell you?” Derek demands.

_Um nothing just all the truth about you, yeah all the things you can’t know and actually told me that the only way it can have a happy ending is that I must die as soon as possible because apparently I’m an storm and wherever a I land everyone dies around me, you know normal weird stuffs_

“Nothing” Stiles says hastily, what if Derek can read thoughts? God! He must be more careful about what he thinks when the werewolf is around him, but geez! It is hard, he is too intimidating right now Stiles can’t stop feeling nervous around him right now, he looks more a like a dog than ever and Stiles is afraid of suggesting it.

Derek throws a last glance straight to Stiles’ eyes, is he checking if he is lying? Stiles slowly scoots back and licks his lips, his throat is dry and raspy when was the last time he sat and had a glass of water was?

“I have to go” Derek announces

“Wait!” Stiles stops him “What I do with him?” Says in a mutter pointing at Scott’s with his thumb.

“He full shifted, he has the control now you don’t have to worry about him anymore” Derek says with some proud in his voice. “Just convince him to get some rest, he needs it, Isaac and I will handle this”

“Are you sure you guys can beat them?” Stiles says thoughtful.

“What are you trying to say?” The wolf grunts.

“Nothing it is just that you just got your ass kicked and…”

Derek makes a scary noise with his throat and Stiles steps back.

“Just make sure he doesn’t go anywhere, call me if they come here”

“Yeah I won’t forget to call you when they are tearing my limbs apart” Stiles snorts.

Derek glares at him as he passes by, when the boy turns on his heels there is no sigh of the wolf despite from the curtains that fly on his wake.

Stiles slowly walks into the foyer, Scott is still in there staring at the nothingness with his head down and half-naked. _It wasn’t you Scotty, it wasn’t you_ Stiles thinks feeling his heart aching for his friend, the boy with the big smile and nice words for everybody is now standing there sinking in the darkness in the loneliness and silence thinking of himself as a monster when the real ones are out there somewhere running free plotting to get them all killed and Stiles can’t do anything about it, just take care of his best friend like when they were kids and hope Derek finds them before it is too late.

…….

A lonely and soft draft dishevels some strands of her hair, and she tousles them back on their position absently while she stares at her home’s facade, it looks like snatched out from a horror movie, the front door is covered by yellow police tape with the words keep out written all over. Up in the second floor is a gap an enormous hole the size of a wrecking ball or a wildling werewolf.

Allison squints, the sun is officially down and now she can’t get a clear vision of her bedroom from outside, everything is dark inside the house, the police was here but they left for some reason, their neighbor’s houses seem empty too have they been evacuated? What about her and her dad? Are they looking for them? Does someone think they are in danger? Do anybody care? This is it, she just had too much, she can’t handle it anymore.

The hair, all that furry coat that hid the boy inside a monster, it almost sounds like a fairy tale, the beautiful and noble young man stuck inside a hood of hair, with fangs and claws ripped apart the heart of the girl who promised endless love once.

From Allison point of view everything is just screwed she doesn’t even know why she is so upset, it actually makes sense everything was a lie every person she once trusted hid things from her, betrayed her and made her realize that she is alone and that she will always suffer as long as they are out there running free, murdering people, telling lies and having secrets, they are all the same, monsters.

The way she sees it now there are three kind of monsters, the one who kidnaps your whole life that makes you believe that cares about you, that gives you everything you could possible need to later understand that none of it was actually real. Then is the second one the monster of the company the person with who you share more things than you think possible and without words seems to understand you better than anyone else, that is the monster that keeps secrets and furtively tries to find all yours. Then is the last monster an actual beast with paws and red eyes that glow in the darkness, that one that haunts you in your nightmares and kiss you in the mornings, that says that loves you but craves for the taste of your blood, there are only monsters in her life she is surrounded and unarmed against them and tonight is full moon.

The air is getting colder in matter of seconds and she yearns for her bed and a hot bath but there is no time for that, everything is over there is no doubt on her chest. She takes off the police tape from the front door and opens it, it screeches while she slowly pushes it the house is dark and disturbingly calm, she should be terrified she was attacked inside that same place just hours ago but she is not afraid she is fatigued, she fights her tears back and climbs the stairs.

She doesn’t head to her room, instead she goes to her dad’s room, he is a demon hunter’s after all a binder she is not stupid he abnegated to his task, whatever his motto is, he can’t just have their home unprotected, he must have thought that soon or later Derek or any other werewolf could came after them, there must be guns somewhere in here she just need to think as her dad and look for them.

She opens her dad’s room door, as the rest of the house is poorly lit by the twilight that comes in through the windows, everything is right where she left it just hours ago before she was attacked by… Scott? Was it Scott? She is too confused the monster in her room was a wildling she learned about them in the binding book and the thing next to Stiles by the lake was a Fourer so or else Scott was a wildling who magically achieved the Fourer state or someone else kidnapped her, but then there is this thing Stiles said before she left, he said that it wasn’t Scott that it was all a trap… A shiver runs down her spine, what does he means with a trap? Who is behind the murderers? Is it Scott? Derek? Stiles? The other wolves from the videos she saw? How many werewolves really are out there in the town?

Allison shakes her head and approaches her dad’s bed, the first idea she has is to look below his pillow, if he is really prepared to fight demons any time he must have a gun as close to him as possible, or at least that is what she would do, unfortunately she isn’t right, when she takes the pillow off the bed she finds nothing over the mattress.

 _Smart guy_ she thinks scratching her nose, where else? _Think Allison, think_. She gets to the dresser and starts taking the clothes out tossing all his dad’s suits, shirts and pants over the bed, she would have go to the secret room but she has no time, her dad will be here anytime and she needs to be ready to go. When the closet is empty she starts trying the wood slats with her knuckles hoping to find an echo that reveal a secret compartment.

_Nothing! Shit!_

She turns around and looks by the window, damn it! Her dad will be here soon she needs to find the guns before it is too late. Maybe the fake wall in the basement… She turns on his heels and darts toward the door, it is so dark now she doesn’t see the bed’s leg and stumbles with it, she feels to the floor and hits the wooden floor with her head.

“Damn it” She says furious holding her throbbing head as she stands and then gets a slight note of emptiness just below her, no below her but the bed.

Allison quickly gets up and runs to the other side of the bed pushing it back to get a glimpse of the floor below, she has to do a big effort to move the mahogany bed. When she is done stares at the dusty slabs of the floor, covers her mouth with one hand while she kneels and starts trying them with the other, it doesn’t take her much time before she gets the fake plank.

She removes it, inside a rectangular space is a large suitcase, she takes the handle and pulls off, god it is pretty heavy! She grips it with both hands and shoves it over the bed, she opens it and as she expected it is a weapon’s case, though it is almost empty, over the black velvet are some daggers, silver knuckles two handguns and two bright things that look like disarmed bows and reaper’s scythe, Allison takes them each in one hand and extend them with a flick of her arms. She attaches them to her back, takes the daggers and hides them in her jacket’s pockets them she grabs the guns and hides them inside her pants and fasten the silver knuckles to her hands. She slowly paces to the mirror at the other side of the room. It is dark but the silver accessories she is wearing now have their own white glow that cast pales lights over her, she shines in the darkness with a celestial icy-like fog that surrounds her from top to bottom.

She runs to her room, it looks worse than she expected, luckily the police didn’t take her car’s keys that still are in the nightstand she bends to find them and the gleaming coming from below the bed calls her attention, at first she thinks it is the shattered glass that bathed her when the wildling attacked but a closer look reveals that it actually is her quiver, still full of arrows, Allison kneels and carefully takes it puts it on her back and turns on her heels, seems like the officers didn’t have time to check up her home properly they didn’t register anything maybe it has something to do with the call for help they heard in the lake, well it doesn’t matter she is relief they didn’t took her arrows because it means she has everything she needs, she is ready and this time she won’t fail.

Allison comes out of her room feeling her heartbeat in the tip of her fingers, she isn’t terrified anymore, she is thrilled she can’t fight her destiny any longer it is now or never, she balls her hands and… lets out a gasp, she gets a deep breath and the tears start running down her cheeks like waterfalls of salty water, this is it, this is really it she doesn’t know if she will come back to this house if she will see her dad ever again, she is not sure about anything anymore the only thing that seems certain right now is that after this night everything is going to be different for her.

…….

Now that Derek is gone Stiles can focus on Scott, he puts his hand on his friend’s burning shoulder blade and slowly pushes him upstairs, Scott responds to Stiles’ guide in silence, he climbs the stairs step after step like a child learning to walk and remains silent with his head down.

Stiles looks on his back, the night has officially fell over the town. All the house is dark and quiet like the ones in the horror movies. They end up climbing the stairs and get inside Stiles’ room, as usual the wood screeches beneath their feet. He sits Scott on his bed while he gets into the bathroom and turns the hot water’s key.

When the steam starts rising Stiles comes back to his room and takes Scott inside the bathroom, he takes off his clothes and throws them in the basket behind the door.

“Can you do it yourself?” He asks.

Scott nods with his eyes still focused in the nothingness, he stretches a hand to take the soap and falls on his needs beneath the hot water. Stiles gets in the shower feeling the rush of warmness covering his body and starting to scorch the back of his neck.

Scott gasps. Stiles hauls him up with all his strength and puts his arm around his neck, it is amazing how Scott’s body is even hotter than the water. Werewolves are amazing creatures. He grabs the soap and starts scrubbing his friend’s chest with it.

“You will have to take care of your…” He starts embarrassed as he looks away.

Scott chuckles and then Stiles gets a weak mutter coming from his friend’s lips “I’m sorry, you don’t have to do this”

“It’s okay” Stiles says while uses the sponge to brush his friend’s armpits, “We are a team remember?”

Scott doesn’t reply.

Stiles is so glad it is Scott and not someone else, it would be too awkward to do the same for Isaac or Derek, gosh! It is so embarrassing to even think about it, his cheeks burn he shakes his head and focus on Scott’s neck.

“I lost her” Scott says hoarsely under the rush of the water that falls over them.

“You didn’t” Stiles assures with a grin. “She will understand”

Scott remains silent another minute before replying and when he does the words come out of his mouth with utter despise on them “No mother would ever love a monster”

Stiles’ heart skips a beat. He is not sure why but he knows Scott is wrong, Mrs. M oh god! She saw everything but she will understand, she loves Scott, Scott is good he is a good boy he just have to make her understand that.

“And…Allison…” Scott continues.

“I think we should think about her right now” Stiles replies more harshly than what he expected, he can’t get Deaton’s words out of his head, Allison murdering him any time soon, she is a binder and have been hiding it this whole time.

“Your mom is just scared, she wasn’t expecting to watch you unshaven that’s all”

“Still” Scott tries to reply but Stiles cuts him off.

“She loves you, everyone loves you who wouldn’t you are the coolest guy in the world and you are nice to everybody and you always smile you always do”

While Stiles presses the sponge on his friend’s back and help imagine wings coming out from his back broken ones, Scott is an angel he always has been, and now he is wingless they took them away and instead left Scott with fangs and claws, it might be Derek who bit Scott but it was Erica and Vernon who made all this story that created this terrifying creature that wore his best friend’s face. Oh god he is so relief! He is so happy Scott isn’t a murderer, he is happy that he can look back again at his friend without being afraid he might attack someone anytime soon.

“You remember everything now don’t you?” Stiles asks.

Scott nods “I always tried to stop them… I really tried but…” He snivels.

Something stitches Stile’s heart.

“But they were too fast, I couldn’t stop them I couldn’t reach them and the blood… It was everywhere”

“You are a hero, you have been all this time trying to protect everybody I knew you were good” Stiles says proudly.

“It doesn’t matter anymore” Scott replies listlessly.

“Of course it matters, because you proved once more how good person you are, risking your life to save everybody else even when the guys who died didn’t get along with you”

“I barely knew them”

“The first…” Stiles starts but then stops he is not sure Scott is ready for more pressure and mysteries, his friend just needs rest.

“You always believed in me” Scott says with confusion on his voice “Why?”

“Because you are my best friend, you stood by my side when my mom… I know I threated you bad and said awful things and then apologized and then fell again but what…”

“It wasn’t your fault” Scott hurries to say.

“But you didn’t deserve the way I threated you”

“You were hurt”

“You haven’t lost your mom” Stiles explains shutting the shower “I lost mine, I won’t have time ever again to say I’m sorry for all the things I did or said, I can’t change the bad things I could have done to her all I can do is remember her and smile and think that somewhere she is watching me and thinking that she did good with me that she did her best”

“Yes but my mom…” Scott tries to reply.

Stiles gets out of the shower with all his clothes all drenched and hanging heavily, the cold air hurts his cheeks and he stretches a hand to take a tower for Scott, when he turns to dry his friend he is astonished to see how his body is almost full dried.

Stiles gaps and then shakes his head. “Your mom will understand, she will get it and everything is going to be alright”

He takes Scott back in his dorm and offers him a par of jogging pants and a top tank shirt. Then he gets back into the bathroom and takes off his dripping clothes while the coldness makes him clatter his teeth, he grits his teeth and puts on his pajama and another hoodie to fight off the winter air.

When he comes out of the bathroom Scott is already lying on the bed though his eyes are still open, Stiles chuckles they hadn’t share their bed since they were thirteen or so, he gets below the quilt welcoming the warmness that Scott’s body irradiates and he takes a deep breath, sleep oh god he has missed sleeping so much, and finally he is in his bed feeling like lying in puffy clouds high up in the sky, his eyelids feel so heavy right now that is hard for him to not just drift away, and wake up and in a year or two.

He losses the battle against the sleep when he gets a slow and even snoring coming from Scott and he realizes that his friend is finally asleep.

The bodies… the bodies are everywhere.

 _Everything will be over soon_.

_DO SOMETHING!_

Stiles jolts on his bed screaming and hauling as much air on his lungs as he can, what… what was that?

His head spins and for a brief second he doesn’t know where he is, then Scott’ snoring makes him recall everything and he covers his mouth with his hand while he fights the tears.

He tried to kill himself, he is going to die and his dad… His dad must be calling him right now and he doesn’t have a phone, Allison is a binder and she is going to kill him, Derek is hunting Erica and Vernon but he hasn’t come back what if they killed him? His stomach plunges down to the thought of it, he has been so stupid they could come here, they could come anytime and Scott’s mom she is missing, she hasn’t come what if… Stiles tries to stand and falls on the floor hitting the wood in a thud sound, Scott must be really exhausted to not wake up after all the noise Stiles has been doing.

He crawls to the drawer and uses it help himself to stand, when he is up he turns on his heels and stares at the clock on his nightstand, it is seven o’ clock which means that he fell asleep for twenty minutes or so, god it feels like seconds actually, his body is sore and every inch of it aches as if someone where inserting millions of tiny needles into his bones, he needs to rest but he can’t he is too scared and preoccupied to just fell asleep, he needs to do something while he awaits for Derek or… Erica? What if Vernon and Erica comes here? What is he going to do? There must be something he can do to stop them for… A memory comes to his mind, there is something that can stops them from coming in, something that Dr. D. has, the same thing he was using to keep Derek away from his home, but hell he can’t wake up Scott now he to go there and it could be dangerous for his friend to leave the house, maybe if he goes there and asks Dr. D to show him the spell, well he can’t look for it in the deep web there must be a forum or something dedicated to Binders.

He looks for his laptop and turns it on, he sits on his bed and while he awaits for the SO to load his stomach growls, gosh he doesn’t remember when was the last time he eat, actually he has been so busy getting in trouble and nearly dying that he forgot to eat, Scott must be hungry too he was trapped in the mill after all, he needs to do something for them both, the less he needs right now is a hungry werewolf inside his house on a full moon night.

He climbs downstairs and makes two sandwiches for him and three for Scott, he puts them on plates and gets back into his room. He put’s Scott’s plate in the nightstand next to him and gets back to his place in the bed where the laptop awaits for him already on, he puts it over his legs and takes a bite of his turkey sandwich, oh god it is so delicious! He takes another bite and starts typing the deep web address when he something comes pins him in the back of his mind.

Erica and Vernon… they attacked an officer and there is someone dead but something doesn’t makes sense, they always killed people that were inside the woods though now that girl disappeared and now there is dead boy and an wounded officer somewhere inside the town, why? Why they changed their strategy? Derek said they were interested in get him but if they wanted that they would have just looked for him in his cabin unless… unless they want to…. Oh god! They are going to attack the whole town! They are going to attack everyone! That is their plan they want to convince Derek of how dangerous Scott is by attacking the whole town tonight on the full moon!

 _But where?_ Stiles thinks, where they might be planning on attacking, it could somewhere anywhere though he has an idea, if he is right and the want Derek to regret biting Scott they will want a massacre kill as much people as possible and there are only few places where people gathers in large amounts they must want to expose their race, blame Scott of all of it.

He must call Derek as soon as possible, there is only one place where they can do it, the mall! They are going to kill everyone in the mall!

He shoves his hands on his pockets… fuck he doesn’t have a phone! He forgot shit! What is he going to do now? Scott… no he probably doesn’t have a phone either, his clothes must be tore apart in the mill’s ruins so it is probably broken anyway.

 _Think Stiles think_ … Isaac! He can contact Isaac through Scott’s Skype he just wish the werewolf has the app installed in his phone or else Stiles is losing his time, luckily he knows Scott’s user and password for everything that is one of the perks of having a best friend, full access to everything.

He types the username and the password on the boxes in the application and the familiar sound of the longing lets him known that he typed them well, when the logging animation is over Scott’s contacts list pop in front of him, he must have Isaac in there he is part of the lacrosse team after all. Stiles types “ _I_ ” in the search box and automatically Isaac’s photo shows up in front of him, he hits the call button and then waits for a couple of minutes but the net isn’t establishing connection, fuck! He tries a couple more times and it is always the same so he gives up and start typing in a text what he found out about Erica and Vernon probably going to a crowded place like the mall. When he is he is about to try establish the voice call when a chat window pops up in front of him with the name Cole at the top of the box.

“ _Scott! You are ok”_ Says the first text.

Stiles is about to reply but then the guy texts again.

“Where are you? Everyone is concerned they thought something happened to you because of what happened to Tackler”

Stiles’ heart skips a beat.

“Tackler? What happened to him?” Stiles types as the fear makes him shiver.

“He was murdered there is a crazy animal in the town, it killed him and hurt an officer”

Cole kept writing and though Stiles face is on the screen he can’t read the words he is too shocked to get what this guy is telling him.

Tackler is dead, he was murdered in the Sadie Hawkins’ night the same night he was going to the dance with…

“Lydia” Stiles says to himself with hitched breath.

…….

Damn Derek and his healing skills, he should be death by now but instead he is alive and healthy as if nothing happened to him, Deaton has definitely something to do with it, neither himself knows how to stop the poisoning from that venom how could the doctor do such thing?

Chris shakes his head and takes a deep breath, holding his left arm, it is still bleeding the fight in the lake was short but still he got injured, well at least it isn’t serious, he used most of his bullets and arrows in the woods, he should come back to recover them before the police finds them but he is running out of time, the sun is officially gone and the full moon will be up high in the sky anytime.

He stops before the front door, up high there is an enormous hole where Allison’s window used to be, the police was here but it looks like they left already. Good! He is not in the mood make up a lie for the officers, there are still lots of things he needs to meditate about. His stomach won’t stop protesting about the lack of food and his eyes of the tiredness he is feeling right now and yet he keeps going. He has no other choice.

The front door is ajar, he slowly pushes it away and it screeches weakly, the foyer is all dark, it is hard to get a glimpse of inside the house, he had the hope that Allison might be in here, god he needs to talk to her but damn! Why she had to see him the way she saw him today? Why it couldn’t be any other day? He is going to finish it tonight, alone but still is doing it, if only Victoria were here, everything would be more easy she was good with words and bindings while he is good with the blade and guns.

How can he explains his teenage daughter what is going on in the town when he is as confused and scared as her? Come back was the stupidest he have ever done. He should have let the past buried. Derek isn’t a threat he has never been if he hadn’t find out that he came back to the town he wouldn’t have followed him here and none of this would have been happening, they were happy they were truly happy somewhere else but here, now what? He just found out that the boy who has been dating his daughter is a werewolf a werewolf that could be the responsible for all the murderers in town but them everything gets complicated because of Simon’s son, that boy and his theory and it does totally makes sense, that officer that was attacked in the town while they were in the lake just proves that he was wrong and it wasn’t the just bitten teenager but an experienced werewolf someone who knew what was doing from the beginning, it explains the way the bodies were torn apart, it wasn’t a halfwit monster who killed those boys it was a mind, a sick mind that wanted to deliver a message and he was so stupid he didn’t read it from the start, why Victoria had to appear in his life? He was happy following the STCU’s rules, believing what they believed that werewolves were monsters as Igneous, Mourners, light skippers and all the other crap he has faced in his life, it was better everything was easier but she came and changed everything just the way she almost changed the world before Derek…

He takes a deep breath and walks in getting swallowed by the darkness, he is not sure if he should turn on the lights it might call the neighbors attention or the police’s though all the houses in the block are lightless too, have they been evacuated? Damn it! Everything came out of control right under his nose and he let it happen. If only… He can’t see in the dark, he can’t bind like Deaton or Victoria but yet he can feel it, while he passes by the couch he senses the air being cut out by the sharp point of an arrow head.

Before the arrow hits him in the head Christopher Argent is already back-flipping in the air, still holding his arm and preparing to get his gun but then he stops in midair when he realizes who attacked him.

“What the hell are you doing?” He roars feeling his heartbeat in his ears, he is shocked and proud he didn’t know how good she had become shooting arrows. She has a perfect aim an aim that almost chopped off his head just seconds ago.

Allison comes in from the shadowy kitchen, her whole body surrounded by a ghostly light almost as if she had her own halo, she is a hunter he can see it in her eyes, they are cold and sharp like his though they are shiny and beautiful as Victoria’s she is dangerous, more dangerous that what he could had possibly imagine, this should have happened this way, hell! They shouldn’t have come here, he had to let everything behind and forget his past.

“What do you think I just did?” She replies sharply quickly taking one of Chris’ guns out of her pockets and pointing straight at him.

Suddenly Chris’ is breathless, he is standing still in the living room behind the couch staring at his own gun’s barrel pointing straight between his brow by a coldhearted and steady grip.

“Allison” He starts.

His daughter snorts. He can see the shadow of a grin on her lips but her eyes aren’t smiling at all, “It’s funny” She says as she slowly shuffles around without loose her grip on the gun “I’ve been thinking about it the last months and I’m not sure I think I rather Mackenzie, you know… that was my name when I was two right?”

“Allison…” He starts realizing his wounded arm and rising up both hands to show her that he won’t hurt her.

“Tell me!” She roars with a high pitched tone “What is my real name?”

“It’s Allison… it’s Allison” He says with shaky voice, damn! He can’t believe he is actually acting this weak in front of his daughter. “You need to understand…” He tries to mediate with her but she cuts him off.

“Understand? Understand that you are a liar? That I can’t tell my friends if my name is my real name because I don’t know? Understand that you have been spying the whole town with your sick cameras, that I don’t know where you really work, from where comes our money that maybe you are a criminal or a psychopath that is what you want me understand?” She roars gripping tightly the gun.

“I know!” He shouts, “I know I hadn’t been fully honest to you but I needed to protect you” He explains. “There is people looking for me, my life is at risk and yours too, that is why we never stay too long in one place”

There is a pause and then he can finally see it, a note of doubt in her eyes it seems like she is starting to listen.

“Why we came back?” She asks loosening her grip.

“I heard this boy Derek was back in the town, I needed to know why he came back, there are being many commotion in the world, everyone though he was dead, but he being alive opens the doors for a revolution, something is about to happen and I came here to find out his plans, but things came out of control with that boyfriend of yours”

She quickly appears in front of him still holding the gun. “Did you know?” She says with fear leaping through her eyes.

“I have always known Allison, I moved the cameras and deleted the videos when you started to come to my meditation place” He replies dryly.

He can see her gap.

“Why…why you didn’t do something? Why did you let him kill those boys?” She demands trying to hide the confusion and embarrassment from her eyes but her cheeks are terrible liars.

“Hadn’t you heard Simon’s son? It wasn’t this Scott kid I’m not sure what is going on but it makes sense or else the radio signal I heard…”

“Who is Simon’s son?” She asks confused.

“The doctor’s son, the boy who fell from the cliff” He explains.

“Stiles” Allison mutters for herself with some despise in her voice.

“But I didn’t know your boyfriend was a werewolf or else I wouldn’t have let you date him, but I was too busy watching videos for hours and trying to figure out who was this new werewolf in Derek’s pack that I underestimated him”

“He could have killed me” She shrills furious.

“I don’t think so” He says thoughtful “I think he has been trying to protect you, that place where I found you, I didn’t even know that cave existed and you came out of it, he took you away and hid you there inside in a full moon day along with his mother”

“He scared the shit out of me” She replies with disgusts in her voice.

“I know and I’m sorry I’m not even the shadow of who I was”

“You should have killed them from the beginning and put an end to all of it” Allison spits angrily.

“I would have do it years ago, but I’m not that person anymore” He says with a longing smile on his face “I was a coldhearted hunter, I killed everything on my way, actually they used to called me longshot. As you I was exceptional in archery when I was at high school, my talent became legendary in the town when the archery team existed”

“I know” Allison grunts dryly.

“It was your mom who changed me, she believed in peace between the STCU and the rest of the world, she knew we were the problem and we had to change from inside to really make an impact in the world”

She looks confused, maybe she hadn’t research as much as he thought about their world.

“And still the guy who killed her is out there alive as if nothing happened” She growls and then snivels, she lowers the gun and Chris get a glimpse of tears on her pale face.

“How… How… do you know?” He asks feeling surrounded by the guilt and fear.

“I had to find it out as everything else, I had to find out who I was and from where I come because every little thing you have ever said to me is a lie, made up to break me, to ruin me to make me feel that you loved me it wasn’t true.. You doesn’t love you are a pathological liar and a shame for the binders” She cries as the tears stream down her face.

A cold and hurtful feeling stabs him in the chest. This is all his fault. “Allison I know you have the right to be angry but…”

“No dad, you know shit!” She roars, the hand that holds the gun shakes with every word she says “You have been always doing what you though was the best for me, without thinking about the consequences how could you leave the guy who kill my mom live?”

“He was a kid! Just a boy and your mom wouldn’t…” He is desperate his hands trembles and he wants to do something to stop his little girl from crying to made up everything for her but he is clueless.

“I don’t care, he is a monster! He has always been! My mom is dead you can’t know what she would have wanted! You are wrong, you didn’t kill him he was been out there all this time, free having fun with his friends and his family while I grew up without my mom I can’t understand that, you are weak, you are a liar, useless… and” She made a pause to take a breath. “And I don’t want to see you ever again” She says with a grimace in her face. “I hate you Christopher Argent and there is nothing you can do to change that”

He is sure she didn’t shoot but he is wounded, he can feel his hearth bleeding while it falls apart on the floor on tiny little pieces, he lost her, he sweet little girl hates him because of what he didn’t or better said what he didn’t do and there is nothing he can do to heal her, he can’t bring her mother back, he has been so selfish he hadn’t see how much she needed Victoria much more of how he needs her right now, and she is gone, just like…

“Allison!” He calls her at her back when she crosses the front door. “Where are you going?”

“As far of you as possible” She says sharply from her back and gets inside her car, Damn the day he bought that car!

“Allison!” He tries to stop her, but she doesn’t listen then the car’s engine roars and she drives away from their home… from him.

Chris falls on his knees on the snow, Allison hates him and she just left… she left… in a full moon night… SHE LEFT IN A FULL MOON NIGHT! Chris jerks up, she is danger! He is not sure if Melissa’s son really is the killer or not but today more people is definitely going to die, he needs to do something and quickly.

He gets inside the house quickly, darts trough the living where just seconds ago her daughter was shouting at him how incompetent he has been all this years and starts climbing up the stairs when he feel two familiar presences behind him, Dave? Marc?

Chris turns on his heels to meet his old class mates with relief washing over him, finally! Now things will be more even.

“I glad you are here” He says to the bold dark shapes standing in front of him.

Both step ahead at the same time and the pale light of the moon reveals their faces, undoubtedly Marc and Dave are there, both have their eyes bloodshot with fearful expressions while they hang from their necks before the two men broad arms.

“What are you doing here” Chris says to the two werewolves that have captive his friends.

“After all these years and that’s all what you say?” One of them grins and Chris can see the pointy fangs overgrowing the rest of his teeth.

_No… not tonight! No… this can’t be!_

“You have made a mistake looking for me” He says pretending being in control of the situation.

“Don’t worry we just came to say hi” The other werewolf replies with a devilish smile.

“So sad that you have to say goodbye so early” He snorts looking back with the corner of his eyes, how many guns has he left in his room? Has Allison left anything for him? He hopes she did.

…….

He didn’t want to leave Scott alone but he had no choice, Scott is asleep and it is full moon night. He didn’t chain him up, he couldn’t do it, it would be so heartless from him to threat his best friend like an animal after all what he has done to save them all so he decided to trust Derek’s words and leave Scott rest peacefully on his bed. It is what he needs right now, to lay in there and try to recover from the internal wounds he has. He just hopes Derek is right he just hopes he is or else… If Scott wakes up and Allison’s father finds him wandering around the town by himself… He is not sure there are any other magical orchids waiting for him in shadow world.

He climbs down of his jeep and takes a deep breath, he can’t believe this horrible day isn’t over yet, for how long they will have to keep living this way? In angst and desperation, thinking that every minute could be their last he can’t get used to it, it is insane, and indeed soon it will definitely be his last minutes and he won’t see dead coming and then he will rest once and for all, though… his dad. Everything is too much complicated, if doesn’t die everyone will die if he dies they’re likely to die but nothing is completely sure their just possibilities after all, he must die… he must die.

Stiles shakes his head and heads straight to the door, he comes through the lawn and when he climbs the porch’s first step his ears get clogged and he gaps, it is like if the air pressure just changed. Does is have anything to do with the protection casted in the house? Stiles turns on his heels and looks down trying to find the invisible wall’s foundations or something else any clue that can show him how the trick works and why it have been reestablished.

“It is a line of fertility” A girl’s voice says at his back.

Stiles slightly cranes his neck and gets a glimpse of Marin next to him with the corner of his eye.

“It keeps them away” Explains sitting on the steps.

“Marin…” Deaton’s voice starts behind Stiles.

“What? I’m not doing anything wrong I’m just telling him something that he will eventually find out” She protests.

Stiles hears Deaton’s slippers shuffling over the wooden porch’s floor until their stop next to him.

“It is a pact made with the other side, casted by the first knowledge bearers thousands of years ago” The man says sitting next to his daughter.

“A pact?” Stiles frowns.

“According to the story in those times of chaos there wasn’t an other side, neither day nor night only twilight. In that world when people died they never left, their essences remained in this land. They rooted and existed in pain haunting the living looking for answer to the suffering they experimented, people were used so when someone died they moved the body to a garden outside the dorp where they got trapped in the landscape, mostly forests. Once in a time they use to find their way back with to their families, their screams of pain scared even the bravest men murdered many and joined them to their army of terror. Elders from of those villages gathered to demand answers to the lights in the sky and after a long time of waiting the answer finally came with them. They bodies were gathered in those place and chants were sung, words were said and bit a bit the souls started to leave”

Stiles gaped it sounded somehow familiar.

“The ritual evolved and the funerals became something familiar for everybody its part of the tradition for all the cultures around the world with some differences but the same in essence, when someone dies their body is buried and stories and memories about that person are shared by the people who knew them, song prayers are said to guide their soul and then they can rest and cross to the other side”

“But how…” Stiles starts confused.

“It is made to celebrate peoples’ memory, but it also helps them find peace to their souls in those times it were known as the atonement or purge the unnatural”

“Unnatural” Stiles repeats and looks at the man and Marin frowning.

“All the things that doesn’t belong here” The girl says with a smirk “The graveyard dirt it’s charged with lots of energy powerful energy it is good to keep them out”

“Graveyard dirt?” Stiles says stunned.

“That’s right” Deaton confirms “Though the recipe has been improved with the years, this one has salt and some plants roots to make it more effective, like for example it doesn’t matter how good werewolves’ ears are they are not able to hear or smell anything inside my house”

“Wow” Stiles says impressed and a little scared. Binders are crazy people. “What about the pact?”

“It is a simple thing though, you just must remember the person but… for casting a bind it is a little more complicated it takes part of your energy to work, once you close the circle you will get more a more physically weak until the link is broken”

Yeah as everything else in the Binding world there is always a trick hidden somewhere.

“Why do you came Stiles?” Deaton asks though he doesn’t look surprised at all to see him.

“I need help, I need something to stop Erica and Vernon” He hurries to say.

“You won’t stop them you know that right?” Deaton replies dryly.

There he was acting like a dick as always.

“Just help me alright?” Stiles grunts, “Help me find a way to stop them I just can’t….”

“Die?” Deaton suggest “You can’t do anything about it”

Die… the way the words come out of the Binder’s mouth so emotionally detached without any note of concern on them.

“Die?” Marin repeats shocked “Is he going to die?”

“Didn’t you know? I think I overestimated you” Dr. D says looking at his daughter with a mock on his face.

_Idiot._

“You know I can’t talk to them the way you do” Marin replies angrily and then she looks up and meets her eyes with Stiles’ there is concern in them.

“Marin I think you should get inside” Deaton orders.

“You can’t tell me what…” She starts but them the front door suddenly bursts open as pushed by a strong rush of wind and Stiles scoots back in shock as the girl is dragged on her butt inside the house. The door slams shut once she is inside.

“Your dad called by the way” Deaton says casually bringing up the subject as if they have been talking about it all the time.

What the hell? How he did that? Stiles steps back scared he is… What happened to Marin… this is too much.

“He is really mad at you by the way” Points out.

“What did you tell him?” Stiles asks afraid of the answer that he might get.

“That you were too busy hunting werewolves and distressed ladies” Deaton chuckles wryly. “Actually I told him you were too stressed with what happened and told him that the police found Mellissa and that everything is alright, I gave you something for sleeping and you are resting upstairs while I get you a ticket for tomorrow morning”

There is a pause where Stiles doesn’t know what to answer.

“You shouldn’t have done that” He says angrily “I can’t go back, I don’t even know what is going to happen right now and you can’t stop me from going”

“I wasn’t planning on doing it” Deaton says nodding.

“Are you going to help me then?” Stiles asks hopeful.

“No” The man replies sternly standing up.

When the porch’s light illuminates Deaton’s face something shudders inside Stiles, he knew! He knew! “You…” He starts with his lower lip wobbling.

“Yes?” Deaton asks arching a brow condescendingly.

“You knew it was Erica and Vernon don’t you? You have always known” Stiles says feeling how the fury starts rising up in his chest, he has always known he knew the truth from the beginning all this could have been avoided.

Deaton takes a minute to consider his answer “It’s more complicated than that, there have been some strings on movement and choices that needs to be taken”

There he goes again with that nonsense crap! “You are a son of the bitch, this poor guys died and you don’t care!” Stiles growls spitting saliva on the man’s face, “Those poor guys died and you did nothing!”

“I have a daughter, I can’t get involved in things that aren’t my business” The doctor says sharply. “You shouldn’t either”

Something stings Stiles in the chest, he is sick of this guy he is sick of his resignation he is done with all that don’t get involve crap! “You are a son of the bitch, you could have saved the town you could have saved those kids and Scott and you didn’t do anything… you didn’t do anything”

“And you shouldn’t either” Deaton says folding his arms on his chest.

“I don’t care if I don’t have a chance against them, I’m going to save Lydia I’m gonna do something to make them pay for what they did, for trying to get Scott killed for betraying Derek for everything!”

Dr. D parts his lips to say something but then he stops short and stares at Stiles as if this was the first time he looks at him. “You are just a human”

“I don’t care” Stiles says hastily.

Dr. D turns on his heels and approaches the door, when his hand holds the handle Stiles speaks again, he can’t lose his chance.

“You could have saved her, don’t you?” He says to the doctor’s back.

“Who?” Dr. D asks but by the tune on his voice Stiles knows he knows.

“You could have saved my mom” Stiles affirms in low voice. “You could have saved my mom and you didn’t”

Deaton remains Still facing the front door.

“You are son of the bitch!” Stiles growls. “You are a selfish son of the bitch! What is the reason of having the knowledge if you’re not going to use it?” They boy cries feeling a hole in his chest… his mom… his mom could have been alive now… but she is not and everything is because of this man.

“Stiles…” Doctor D starts.

“I don’t care what you say, I don’t care if I die tonight on Allison’s hands or Scott or Erica’s or in a Were-lamb’s I’m going to save my friends and die with smile on my face because I did everything I could to keep them safe”

“Don’t run with scissors” The man finishes and closes the door behind him.

Stiles steps back cursing inside, he is the worst human being Stiles has ever known, he is even worse than Derek or Erica and. He has always known the truth and didn’t do anything about it, why? Why he is so selfish? Why he doesn’t care all the horrible things that have been happening?

“Stiles” Marin’s voice says at his back while he climbs up on his jeep.

“Marin” Stiles replies shocked.

“I know I can see like him” She says with a brief smile “And I know I’ll be in a lot of trouble when I came back inside but”

The girl shoves her hands in her jogging pants pockets and gives him a tiny yellow petal.

“Aconitum?” Stiles frowns.

She nods.

“Things are more complicated than you think, this tiny piece can be used as a somniferous”

“Thank you” He says a little discouraged, he was waiting for something more useful like a gunshot or something but well at least she is trying to help.

“Don’t look at me that way” She says reluctantly “You have all you need to stop them” She assures and then smiles.

He has all he needs to stop them? Really?

“Are you…” He starts thoughtful, but when he looks up Marin is already gone.

…….

His chest still aches a little but he doesn’t have time lose. Derek climbs up the building’s roof and stares at the whole town from the top. There are lights in many windows and there are some cars in the snowed streets, this means that things aren’t out of control yet, he looks up to the grey sky the moon is right up of him with its yellow light glowing through the clouds he can feel it influence calling him whispering to his ear, damn it is annoying he can’t focus on his task.

He has been looking for hours without success those bastards hid pretty well, he has no clue of where they might be, he has been an idiot trusting in them he shouldn’t have let them join him he knew they belonged to feral packs before he should have trusted his instincts and kill them when he had time but he needed a pack he needed seven wolves to face the Fenrir, what is he going to do now? He can let them free they will murder the whole town, what are they planning? How they know he is looking for them?

The screaming is low and continuous, fucking moon he is in control but tonight it is harder than usual, he must admit that he is concerned he is furious and confused it is taking over him, the wound only makes it more difficult, the shrills he keeps hearing them he is craving for blood. He almost hurt that boy in his own house when he said that about the Fenrir’s pack in here damn it he isn’t a pup anymore he can’t let his inner wolf take the control over him.

He is not a monster, he is not a monster not anymore.

Another roar.

Derek growls in frustration if he could only shut up his inner wolf if he could only… Another… it is not a growl… is a cry, he is not listening to his inner alter ego but… someone… screaming… for help.

Derek Jumps to the next building and comes down through the fire ladder, the screams comes from a near building it is someone asking for help begging… he can hear it… He starts running through the streets making sure to not call the attention of the humans, hiding in the shadows and darting as fast as he can without be seeing, he can feel it in his bones he is near them it is near the radio station down the block. He takes his cellphone out of his pocket and starts dialing Isaac’s number.

…….

The streets, the lights the faces everything is mixed up through the windshield, he is not sure how he can be driving this fast without crashing his jeep against another car or how is that they hadn’t stop him yet but it doesn’t matter he keeps driving feeling his heartbeat rising with every minute, he doesn’t know how long has spread the word about what have happened in the town the last two days with Mrs. M and Allison’s kidnap but he knows how shallow people is and on a Friday night there is are only three places that can be fully crowded right now, the mall, the Sadie Hawkins’ dance and the clubs, he just hopes he is right and they are in the mall he has no time to lose.

Lydia, he can’t stop thinking about her! Is she hurt? Dead? Tackler is dead, they killed him and Lydia was with him, but the injured officer didn’t say anything about a girl maybe she is fine, maybe she is but he has no phone or her number to call her he lost everything in the lake, maybe Allison… no he can’t talk look for her right now every time he thinks about her the spark burst in his chest and the words of Deaton come back to his mind, she is going to murder him she is going to do it.

Stiles takes the curb at the end of the street and heads to the mall’s basement’s parking lot everything looks just fine from outside maybe it hasn’t started yet. _Please be alright Lydia, please!_ He thinks with desperation passing by rows and rows of taken places. He finds an empty spot at the end of the second basement and parks his jeep.

He climbs down his jeep breathing heavily feeling how the world is crumbling, today he found out so many things and secrets it is too much he is going to have a heart attack or something.

_Breathe Stiles! Breathe!_

He looks around while he tries to steady his respiration and heartbeat, it is empty there isn’t a soul in there, despite the tons of cars the parking lot is empty and dark, something is not right, he can feel it. Something is not…

“Hey monkey” A voice says at his back while a shadow darkens the poor light that illuminated him.

Stiles turns on his heels Isaac is standing in front of him. “Isaac!” He says relieved.

“Are you alright?” The young werewolf asks arching a brow. His grayish eyes have a pale glow on them it is all he can see apart from his lips that move quickly while he talks.

“Where is Derek? Have you searched from them? Are they in here?”

Isaac shakes his head. “They are not here, I was expecting to find Scott” points out.

“It was me who texted you I lost my phone” The boy explains “Where is Derek? Did you tell him, are you sure they didn’t come here?

“They are not coming monkey” The straw haired wolf says in a hiss. “They are too busy chopping Derek’s head right now”

Stiles’ legs turn into jelly and his stomach gives a lurch he steps back but he is stopped by his jeep’s door, he is… trapped!

“You should have come” Isaac says coldly. One second his in front of Stiles and the next Stiles flying to the center of the parking lot.

He lands on his knees feeling a painful throbbing that runs up his legs, his marrowbones aren’t broken but they are near to it. Stiles turns falling his butt as he scoots back. “Why are you doing this?” He shouts angrily.

“I had to” Isaac replies hoarsely “They were going to kill me” In a blink the wolf is in top of him “I’m sorry Monkey, you shouldn’t have come it was Scott it had to be Scott everything would have been fine”

“You killed those guys” Stiles accuses openmouthed.

“Erica and Vernon did it, I just made sure Derek was busy all the time”

“How can you do this to Derek?” Stiles says hurtful “He trusts you, you were always loyal to him!” He shrills furiously “You are supposed to be his loyalty and you are just a useless coward!”

“Don’t call me coward you little piece of shit!” Growls the werewolf striking Stiles’ crown against the cold pavement.

Stiles lets out a gasps as his head starts aching, he has to bit his tongue to fight back his tears.

“Why?” Stiles asks “You could have easily start your own pack with them. Leave Derek and Scott behind you are shifter after all” Stiles says to distract him while he tries to find a way out of it.

“Wolves are greedy Monkey, they want power they want Derek to suffer for not listening to them they want to take all his power and in exchange they will not hurt me or anyone else in the town, they promised to me”

Stiles starts thinking, Marin said that he had all what he needs but what does she means? He got nothing only a throbbing head and a…

“You are supposed to be his loyalty and you betrayed him to save your sorry ass” Stiles says sharply struggling to break free from Isaac’s grasp he can feel his fingers brushing the hem of his shirt he just needs to go a little lower.

“Derek told you about the plan of the seven wolves uh? It is only a fairy tale seven wolves are useless against two hundred werewolves”

“Five hundred actually” Stiles corrects him while he slowly slides his arm down and starts feeling his belt with his fingertips.

“How do you know?” Isaac asks frowning.

“You won’t do it at time you know? You won’t get enough wolves to fight against the Fenrir you are lost you will die as the cowards that you are” Stiles chuckles despiteful.

“I didn’t know you were so cold hearted” Isaac grunts his eyes glowing more intensely in the dark parking lot.

“I didn’t know you were a traitor, I guess you learn something new every day”

“I’m not a traitor! I had no choice!” Isaac cries breathing heavily “I had to fight them, I have to kill them you murdered my family I saw them kill my little sister in front of me! You don’t’ know what is like you know nothing!” A tear falls from the wolf’s eyes and lands on Stiles’ cheek and for a second the boy feels it like his own, he knows what is like to lose the people you love.

“Derek took care of you, he saved you grew up like brothers” Stiles says hurtful, it is like looking at Scott and himself, he wouldn’t ever betray his best friend. EVER.

“You don’t get it monkey! Derek’s plan won’t work we need wolves more wolves and he doesn’t get it, he will get us killed! And I need to live I need to live to kill all of them all of them with my own hands for what they did to my family I have to!”

“Derek’s plan will work! You don’t have to do this!” Stiles assures felling the edge of his pocket brushing his palm.

“How do you know?” Isaac demands sniveling.

“I know it!” Stiles affirms steady “We can do it, I know we can’t beat them!” He spits feeling the anger and determination scorching him inside.

Stiles stares at him puzzled and he gets his chance to dig his hand in his pocket.

“You… monkey” Starts breathless, “Why? Why are you doing all this?”

“Because Scott is my friend and I’ll stay by his side no matter what”

Something hits Isaac in the eyes he can see he is doubting, this is his time.

“You could be a strong wolf” The young werewolf mumbles with deep voice.

Stiles swallows hard. “I can feel it in your scent”

His eyes sweep Stile’s face and suddenly pinned as he is in the concrete he feels violated. “They told me to stay away from you, everything in you tells me to stay away but there is something in you… I can’t… Is the moon… in need to” Isaac’s breathing gets hitched. “I don’t’ have full control and you… you are making me lose the little bit I have”  

“Isaac”

“I need it… I need to bit you Monkey”

“Isaac don’t…” Stiles begs digging deep in his pocket, feeling the grasp on his arm more loosen.

“I can’t fight it… you’re asking me to do it… think about it you could be stronger than anyone, you could live without fear you could really help Scott and the rest of us to fight… You could be an amazing wolf Monkey”

The bite… that painful injection that unleashes the chaos and the power that can help him take care of his dad that could chance everything… that could…

“No” Stiles says with hesitation.

“We could make it work, Erica and Vernon will understand I’ll talk to them”

“No” Stiles repeats with fear leaping through his voice.

“Don’t lie to me…” Isaac lowers his head.

Stiles closes his eyes with fear and balls his hand around the aconitum’s petal.

“You want this as much as I do” Mutters at Stiles’ ear.

A shiver runs down the boy’s spine and he opens his eyes.

“I’m sorry I can take it anymore” Isaac rises his head to take impulse and opens his mouth widely just inches in front of Stiles’ face. His canines enlarge too quickly as in anticipation and Stiles hears a strong and thrilled heartbeat, the problem is that he can’t tell who it is.

Stiles breaks free from Isaac’s grasps and before he can feel the touch of the fangs on his neck he shoves the aconitum inside’s Isaac’s mouth, the petal is so tiny it is impossible for him to spit it out and instead the wolf scoots back gagging, Isaac kicks him in the balls and throws him back.

“What… what did you do to me?” Asks between gaps.

“Don’t worry I’m not going to kill you” Stiles says sharply standing up and passing by him. “You’re just going to fall asleep”

“I’m sorry” Isaac says hurtful as he falls on the floor and his eyes starts closing.

“I don’t believe you”

“I’m sorry” Repeats “I should have stopped them but I was too scared”

“I don’t care” Stiles grunts starting to climb up on his jeep.

“Monkey!” Isaac cries with big effort “They are in an abandoned building in Cedar Street”

“Thank you” Stiles replies emotionless.

“Forgive me” Isaac finishes as Stiles watches him faint through the rearview mirror.

…….

When she came out of home she was so mad that she had no clue of where to go or what to do. She has been driving without destination she knows something is going on there are more people in the streets than usual and some parts of the town look so… desolated but maybe it has something to do with the fact that is Friday night.

 _This is stupid_ she thinks stopping her car outside the park, she has been driving clueless of where to go, her mind was so clouded by the anger that she went out without a plan and now she is in there trying to think where she can find them. They must be together right now, it is full moon night after all.

She closes her eyes and tries to think, her dad said a lot of stuffs but she didn’t pay much attention, she was so angry while he talked while he admitted that he was a liar that she couldn’t handle it, her mind is blocking the memories though she has clear that he said lots of things that didn’t make sense to her and they still don’t. Digging further she goes back to the cave with Scott’s mother, the Fourer dragging Stiles over the snow. It wasn’t Scott it is all what comes to her mind while Derek –the guy who murdered her mom- fights her dad and Stiles says it. It wasn’t Scott it wasn’t Scott, what did he mean?

Stiles… She trusted him. Not enough to tell him everything she was coming through but let’s face it how could she trusts in anybody to tell them all the odd crap she was discovering through those months? It sounded so stupid to share, Stiles is a Binder of course and she doesn’t know why he really came to the town but… she can’t trust him, she can’t trust anybody he could have tell her, he had to tell her since the first time they saw each other since the first time they touched when that first _spark_ burst inside her and he felt it two, she could see it then and can almost feel it prickling her right hand now, they should have talked, she should have tried to ask him to figure out what was all that maybe he had an idea maybe he knew the reason they feel that way near each other but she didn’t and now the spark seems to set off her hand… if she closes…her eyes.

She presses her eyes shut. She can… She can feel how it moves, how the primitive and organic feeling fights to break free in her hand, it was intense right a second ago and now it is slowly fading as if it beat or moved on its place… like if Stiles was near her just seconds ago and now he…isn’t. He is moving! He is going somewhere, probably to meet Derek and Scott! Allison holds her hand high and moves it around describing a circle with her palm up to her shoulder using her arm as a compass and then she feels it, the jolt of energy stiffening her hand charging it with electricity and pain and guilt and happiness, the signal is low but yet overwhelming it’s strange connection between them is growing every day she can’t help feeling like they are a lighter slowly approaching wildfire.

She lets out a gasp, keeps her arm up toward Stiles’ stele and hits the gas.

…….

There is rotten wood door crowned by an old sign with most of its letters gone, the street empty and dark if it wasn’t by the low and echoing snivels he would think this isn’t the right place. He hurls himself in and is swallowed by an unsettling blackness. He is inside a large room with a blue light in its center in the middle of which two bodies are crouched back to back.

There is coppery scent in the air… Blood that salty and familiar scent that makes his muscles tense. His paces bounce against the distant and eerie walls, he needs a second to understand that the moving shadows that respond to his movements are his own reflection, he is inside a building with real size mirrors attached to every wall.

He slowly approaches to the shaky bodies, it is a boy and a girl but illuminated by the pale light that comes from the inexistent ceiling. Derek looks up there is a large gap where the roof should be and from where the full moon meets him, calls him. By the lack of snow on the misty floor he assumes that it have been removed recently. The cloud of dusty is so high he is having a hard time to recognize the shapes on the floor.

Volutes of flying dirt filter through his nostrils tickling his nose, he clamps his mouth with his palm and approaches the center of the room. The girl’s shape shakes violently to the sight of him.

“Help us” She cries when the light falls over him.

It is… that girl… which was her name? The cheerleader… and Jackson who is fainted with his head relaying on his shoulder, they are tied to each other.

Derek hurries to address them, a thicker layer of dust rises with his steps and he sneezes. Before he reach them there is someone already standing next to teenagers.

“Careful, you don’t want to get sick, don’t you?” Hisses Erica’s voice.

Derek grits his teeth “What are you doing?” He says furiously balling his hands.

“What you didn’t have the guts to do” Erica says sharply. “I’m taking the leading from now”

Derek snorts “You will need to get rid of me first” He says taking care to not show any sign of his blood curse in front of the human girl.

The human boy suddenly jerks fluttering his eyes open, open of them is swollen and tears instantly climb to them while he starts screaming “Where…where… HELP!”

Erica puts tugs a cylinder from her pocket and covers the human’s mouth with tape.

“Easy I’m not going to hurt you” She says while she is kneeling before them. “Yet” Chuckles.

“Let them go!” Derek growls throwing himself against her. In a blink Erica is gone and Derek is struck on his back.

The impact makes him fly a large distant until his body hits the nearest mirror that breaks its sharp shattered pieces digging in his flesh. He lets out a moan and hurries to flip, right where he was standing seconds ago is Vernon staring at him with a grin.

“You bastards!” Derek spits taking some shards from his chest.

The werewolves walk into the moonlight and he gets a glimpse of their half-morphed body, each of them wearing parts of their body furred one eye glowing red and their clothes torn. They aren’t at full control of their bodies as usual, he doesn’t know if it is a good thing or not. The blood starts running cold on his veins he lets out his claws and enlarge his fangs.

“Why are you doing this?” He demands while takes a look of the fearful couple shaking on the floor in terror.

“Are you really asking me that?” Erica says sarcastically. “I warned you Derek! I told you we needed to move fast! They are almost here and what we have? A pup! We can’t use him against the Fenrir and his pack you and your stupid ideas! We didn’t need seven wolves!”

“We needed them” Derek assures starting slowly pace to his side without detach an eye from them.

Vernon charges against him, swinging his sharp claws against Derek, he back-flips on the air and grabs the wolf by the collar of his torn shirt shoving him as far as he can. Erica is now over him she punches him in the face, Derek grabs her by the arm and with a flick of his hand breaks hers bones.

Erica lets out a high pitched moan and steps back. “You son of the bitch!” She cries. “We could have an army Derek!” she says with her eyes packed with tears “We could have been ready!”

“I won’t turn a whole town into monster just to get you your revenge!” He roars kicking her in the stomach.

Vernon’s claws shows up from behind and pierce Derek’s throat, he throws his arms back and shoves him ahead, Vernon lands on his back next to the humans quickly rolling to stand.

“That is the problem with you! You think of yourself as a monster when you should embrace what you are and wear it with proud you are the true Fenrir and you are losing your time believing stupid stories!” Erica’s voice says from the shadows.

Damn it! The echoing of her voice doesn’t let him get know where she is. They start running… their shapes reflecting in the mirrors the red eyes multiplying in docents making impossible for him to tell which is real and which isn’t.

“That is why you killed those boys? Because you wanted my power?”

“No” Erica says sternly and the eyes in the mirrors stop moving. There is only darkness now. “I believed in you Derek I truly did but that night… in that party… They came for us don’t you get it? They sent him to see what we were doing that is why Vernon had to kill him!”

“Then why blame Scott?”

“Because two weeks passed and you thought you had spare time to play tame your pet when you should have been making more shifters” She replies sharply. “I need to make you understand how dangerous he was. How volatile by using his powers to murder the humans that messed with him.

“If you are in such hurry why did you wait this long then?” Derek asks focusing in his hearing to figure out from where the voices are coming.

“Because I wanted you to change I wanted you to realize how big we could get to be but you were more interested in that stupid boy and his stupid friend, since Stiles put a foot on the town everything changed I can feel it he and that girl the Argent they are going to get us killed… I saw my own death on his eyes”

“You are afraid of a scrawny little human” Derek chuckles despiteful.

“I won’t die because of him!” She shrills. “I WON’T!”

“No won’t by his hand, you will meet your death here and now!” He assures.

He quickly addresses the mirrors row on his left, Erica spins in the air and he kicks her in the stomach, her back hits the crystal and they are both bathed by a rain of glass.

“Mother fucker” She moans falling on the floor.

Derek enlarges his claws to their maximum.

“I can’t die” She says with her wide eyes the green and the red glowing dimly under moonlight reflection in the broken glass.

“You should have followed the rules” Derek replies and then lets out a high pitched groan.

Vernon’s stabbed him in the back, his claws came through his stomach bathed in Derek’s blood.

Derek takes a breath and feels the strength quickly abandoning his body, The wolf grabs him by the shoulder and throws him away, his body hits the dirty floor and rolls all over until he bumps with a tender and shaky contour, he slowly looks up feeling the jolt of pain running over his body, the human girl is staring at him with her eyes full of tears and the face reddened all her veins tensed.

“You…know?” Erica says between gasps slowly approaching him.

“I… was going to leave you bit them. He is fast and strong, she is smart…. It was going to be your redemption, the start of a new era Derek but you will not don’t you? You are too busy whining like a girl… caring about humans you don’t deserve to be a pack leader, you don’t deserve power… you want to die it is all what matters to you”

Derek tries to stand but Erica pins him to the floor with her boot “I’m going to…I’m going to grant your wish”

Erica stretched her hand that in a blink turned into half-shifted paw. Derek closed his eyes…. _Release._

There is an unpleasant and brassy sound, his heart comes out of control and something inside him craves for running for fleeing away as far as he can from it.

…….

Erica and Vernon scoot back with their eyes flaring staring with fear at the spot where the firecracker just exploded.

“What’s the matter? The little puppies are scared of the fireworks?” Stiles says despitefully.

He takes advantage of the wolves’ confusion and runs to the center of the room, where are they by the way? Who could give use to a room of this size stacked with mirrors?

“Derek it is me” He says taking carefully the wolf’s head. “Relax it is just firecrackers, nothing else”

The werewolf shakes on the floor usually flame like blue eyes are now a paler almost grayish like a rainy day and they move in all direction with awe, it is moon Stiles can see it tonight he’s a wild thing and feral beast trapped in the body of a young man who struggles to not lose the control on his own body and Stiles just triggered it with the firecracker.

Derek keeps breathing heavily, he has hand fastened to his stomach, is he injured? Stiles slowly reaches the wolf’s stomach, the white shirt he is wearing has dark crimson stains and his face is paler than usual.

“Are you dying?” He asks with fear climbing to his voice.

The wolf manages to shake his head in his state of commotion. “Take…” Start in a moan. “Take them out!” Orders in a furious voice.

Stiles falls on his butt the by the impression and then is when he see them, just steps away from Derek, how is that he hadn’t notice their presence before? Jackson and Lydia both staring at him with a mix of emotions, he recognizes happiness and fear and confusion and some gratitude.

He hears a roar and Vernon appears in front of him, Derek stands with a jolt and grabs the dark skinned werewolf by the shoulders and throws him away “Now!”

Stiles quickly stands, his friends are tied up to each other he looks around looking for something to help him untie them it only takes him a second to see shards of mirror scattered all around them, he takes a large piece and runs to them. Lydia is bathed in sweat and tears and her face is red and he can see all those veins popped up by the stress of the situation, it is so hard to see her that way, Jackson has a swollen eye and there is blood running down his temple but it isn’t serious.

He kneels before them and starts cutting off the ropes while he hears the growls of the werewolf at his back.

“Where you think you are going?” Erica says at his back when he finishes releasing his friends. Before giving a chance to the she-wolf to attack he turns and stabs her in the leg with the piece of glass. She lets out a loud cry.

Stiles takes Jackson and Lydia by the shoulders and starts running away from the wolf.

“Fucking human!” Erica roars.

Without looking back Stiles pulls from his dazed friend’s clothes and hides in the darkest corner he finds, when they are in a safe distant from the fight he stops and takes off the tape from the their mouths.

“What…” Jackson starts with broken voice but Stiles makes signs to him to stay quite.

“Listen, their nose doesn’t work well in this wheatear don’t make any noise so they won’t know where you are, stay quite I’ll distract them when you hear the next firecracker run away, my jeep is outside. Go away and hide go to the graveyard! They won’t find you there alright?”

The scared teenagers nod with tears on their faces. “Everything is going to be okay I promise” He says shoving his hands on his pockets to take his keys and give them to Jackson.

When he turns back on his heels finds Vernon on top of Derek, he looks grotesque below the moonlight with his features half-shifted in an animals? This shape isn’t like the one Scott adopted in his previous form, this one is more sad than scary is like staring to a creature that lives in constant pain and self-hatred.

Thank god he forgot he had some fireworks on his jeep’s truck or else this would turn out differently, now he gets what Marin meant by having all what he needed to stop them, his mind it is what makes him dangerous for them.

He holds tight the lighter with one hand and spins the wheel while rises the other hand carrying the firecracker. A palm slaps his hands and the lighter flies away from him getting lost in the darkness, his heart skips a beat and then Erica strangleholds Stiles’ from behind, choking him.

“I should have killed the moment you put a foot on the floor, it would have made Derek realize how wild Scott was by killing his own friend it would have made everything easier, you made this you know? You and that girl I live in constant anger since you both got into the town I can’t concentrate it was when I started having this ideas, after we killed the first I understood what we had to do and it is all because of you Stiles, you woke up that part of me” She says with a sadistic laugh, “Thank you” She hisses on his ear.

Vernon starts kicking Derek’s head on the floor, he look on his face… the remorse… “VERNON!” Stiles screams. “You don’t have to do this!” He pleads “You are not a bad guy!”

Vernon suddenly stops and cranes his neck toward him, “I’m sorry” Says sincerely. “I have to do it for Erica, she is everything to me and even if what she is doing is wrong I’ll be by her side no matter what” The wolf finishes without emotion on his voice and then comes back with Derek.

“You really thought you could stop us?” Erica laughs insanely “A human? What? You came here to save your boyfriend Scotty?” She mocks “It is so sad, Isaac must have killed him by now”

“I wouldn’t be so sure” Stiles replies in a snort, geez! What the hell is he doing? He should scared as mouse in facing the fattest cat in the world, but he is not, he is angry fuck that he is furious! He wants to make them pay he wants to make them suffer.

“What do you mean?” She demands puzzled.

“How do you think I found out that you were here?” He says with a sneer.

There is pause where all Stiles can hear is Derek’s howls and groans while Vernon kicks him.

“That son of the bitch, he betrayed us doesn’t he?”

“Derek is everything to him, he is a true leader not you” Stiles laughs “The wolves will never bend their knees to you Erica they will be loyal to Derek just like Isaac is”

“I’m not surprise” She replies dryly “I’ll hunting after we are done with you boys, maybe I’ll Jackson to kill him, it will be a good training for him”

Jackson? Fuck! Had they leave already?

There is a shriek and then a moan, there is a lot of confusion Stiles falls on the floor softening his fall with his arms as he quickly turns to find Erica taking a piece of glass off from her arm.

“I would never be part of whatever you crazy bitch are up to” Jackson says defiantly.

The jock rapidly approaches Stiles and helps him stand who his staring at him openmouthed… Jackson… is…pretty brave!

“I’M GONNA KILL YOU!” Erica shrills swinging a hand and sending Jackson flying away in the darkness. “I’M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!”

“Lydia run!” Jackson says while he flies back and hits his head against the mirrors on his back.

“Jackson!” Lydia cries from the spot where Stiles left them.

“Don’t move!” Stiles orders to the girl while scoots back, Erica is slowly approaching him with anticipation on her two colored glowing eyes she is tasting the moment as if she is finally reaching what she wanted most in her life!

There is painful moan next to them and both look at her left, Vernon fell to his side he is desperately holding his left arm is hold his right which has an arrow coming in and out from the other side.

Stiles stares confused at Derek who is now standing, another arrow flies toward Erica and Stiles’ place and both flinch and then is when he see it a light slowly walks from the shadows with shape of a woman…no… a girl… Allison! The spark burst in Stiles’ chest and then the girl rapidly approaches Derek taking a knife from her belt.

“Allison!” Stiles screams as Derek back-flips Allison’s attack.

Stiles runs and steps in the middle of them, the look on her face… She is charged with so much fury and hate, is like staring into the eyes of a heartless machine.

“Allison! It is not him I promise!” He says quickly. Oh god what is she doing here?

Allison quickly stops and puts her knife back in her belt, that god!

She takes two guns and points at Stiles’ forehead. Oh shit! OH SHIT! This is it… he is going to die!

“My business are with him, you better stay away from me if you want to live Stiles”

“Allison please!” He says rising his arms. “He is not the bad guy I promise. Is them!” Stiles points at Erica and Vernon’s confused faces. “They did all this! They killed those guys and made us believe it was Scott, you have to believe me!”

Allison snorts “Where is Scott? He is the next on my list”

“Allison please! Scott didn’t do anything wrong, he didn’t know he was a werewolf he didn’t know!”

Oh shit why this happening right now?

“This son of the bitch murdered my mom!” Allison roars “I’m gonna kill him! Don’t try to stop me” She warms.

“It wasn’t him Allison it was a trap!” He says trying calm her down.

“What?” The girl says off ward, when Erica sends her flying back with a punch on her face.

“Allison!” Lydia cries.

“Lydia don’t move!” Jackson says from Stiles’ back, he is conscious again. Good!

Erica jumps over Allison “Don’t’ you dare to shot me an arrow again you stupid little girl” She shouts.

Stiles looks back at the time Vernon launches himself over Derek and Stiles quickly grabs a piece of glass and stabs him in the stomach, the wolf growls and the blood starts staining Stile’s hands.

When Stiles looks back Erica is running toward them, and then he hears the shots, the she-wolf dodges the fires and hides in the shadow, Stiles hurries to stand next to Allison who is holding to guns and is spinning quickly in all directions trying to find her target.

“You have to believe me” Stiles says trying to calm her down. “They are the bad guys not us!”

“You lied to me” Allison says with anger still focused on the shadows.

“You have been lying to me all this time, about being a Binder about Scott, about the things that happen when we are together”

“Me? You are the one trained to hunt and kill werewolves you have lived your whole life learning bindings and ways to poison wolves!” He shots back feeling his blood boiling.

“I didn’t!” She cries shooting to the shadows.

Suddenly a shape charges against them and both duck, Derek grabs Vernon and throws him away, Erica comes too and Allison kicks her in the neck making her fall on her back.

The both reach her while she stares at them with burning multicolor eyes. “I had to learn by myself the last month” Allison says in her defense.

“Me too!” Stiles says moody “It happened too fast! I couldn’t just show up and tell you about all the crap that has been going on in the town you have thought I was crazy!”

Allison detaches her eyes from Erica and looks straight at Stiles, the spark burst inside him and by the look on her face she just felt it too.

“Erica!” Vernon whines with fear in his voice.

Allison and Stiles come back to reality, with the corner of his eyes Stiles gets a sight of Derek grabbing Vernon by his neck.

“Scott broke up with you when he found out what he was, he was trying to protect you from himself” He says hoping to calm down his friend’s anger at least a little.

“Allison?” Lydia’s voice says at their backs. “Are you going to kill her?” There is fear on her voice, Stiles doesn’t need to watch her face to know how terrified she is.

“What are they doing here?” Allison asks.

“They were planning on biting them” Stiles explains.

Allison tights her grip on her gun and Stiles gaps “Wait” He says raising a hand to stop her, he can see the utter panic in the she-wolf eyes.

“What happened to the girl?” Stiles asks to Erica.

The she wolf frowns “Who?”

“The missing girl… is she dead?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about” Erica says spiting blood on their faces.

“Don’t lie!” Stiles grunts, “You are done… you have nowhere to scape… this is it Erica, tells us the truth if the girl is still alive you can go, but never come back!”

“What a nice boy, he is willing to spare your life if you tell him about the missing girl” A mysterious voice says from the darkness.

A shiver runs down Stile’s back.

“It is a shame you know nothing about it Erica” The voice continues and the slender shape of a girl comes to the light.

She tall with brown skin and long curly hair, there is something familiar about her but Stiles is not sure…

“Lauren?” Allison says openmouthed.

“You know me?” The girl says surprised.

“You go to school with us” Allison points out.

“Amazing and I thought that no one knew I existed”

Derek growls at Stiles back… “She is a wolf”

“Guilty” The girl giggles with an innocent smile.

“What is going on?” Vernon says from Derek’s grasp.

“Nothing Vernon I just came to deliver a message and maybe collect a little”

“How do you know our names?” Erica demands.

“It is Job Erica to know everything about you since you killed Patrick”

“Patrick?” Stiles frowns.

“Do you really though that we hadn’t been watching you? We have always been here… EVERYWHERE” The girl snorts.

Stiles parts his lips to talk when dozens of shadows suddenly move and before he realize Erica and Vernon are both standing before the girl looking as confused as Stiles is right now.

“We have been looking at you Derek. All your moves, learning of your strategy, especially me… I’ve been curious about why the Fenrir is so interested in you”

 _Fenrir?_ Stiles stomach plunges down.

“You are one of his toys uh?” Derek says with despise on his voice.

“You will be one soon too” Lauren points out with a smirk.

“I don’t think so” Derek replies.

“I thought you would say that, I was sent here to watch you boys and make an offer… you join us Derek or we are going to kill each and every one of your friends… all the people that you cares about until there is no one left”

Derek snorts “The hunters took care of that years ago”

“Oh really?” Lauren chuckles and then rises one hand and snaps her fingers.

Before them appears two large and bold men with perfectly attractive human features one taking Lydia and the other Jackson both clasping their mouths.

Stiles’ heart stops, he can feel it his heart stopped beating and now he is falling… he is sinking.

“Let them go!” Derek growls.

“It seems like you really like these kids” Lauren says arching a brow “And you barely know them”

“I wonder what would happen if…” She snaps her fingers again.

And before Stiles gets a chance to react there is a new enormous shadow in from of him, this wolf doesn’t touch or do anything to him just stands there menacing.

“It would be a shame to kill everyone in this town just to make you cooperate don’t you think?”

“Mother fuckers! You murdered my family!” Erica shrieks launching herself toward Lauren.

And it happens again, she is so fast Stiles can’t watch her moving all he can see is Erica flying backwards

“Don’t make me kill you Erica” Lauren says despiteful “The Fenrir is eager to give you your own pack”

“We wouldn’t join you ever!” Vernon says as he runs to meet with his lover in the back of the room.

“Are you in the human’s side?” Lauren arches a brow. “The ones that made the curfews, that monsters that hunts our kind and treat us like feral beast! The ones that one to control us, you stupid boy the Fenrir what he had to for us to save us… the humans are gathering right now they are planning a war against us do you really think they will leave you live if you say them that you don’t like us?” She chuckles.

“The Fenrir murdered those who didn’t want to cooperate who believed in all that coexisting crap that killed the Hale family! You can’t pretend to be their pets… is that what you want Vernon? Be a pet?”

“You talk too much for a girl who has been just bitten” Derek points out slowly approaching Stiles and Allison’s captors.

“You are right I was a human agent until two days ago” She grants him “I came as a sample, I just repeat what the Fenrir can’t say in person because he is too busy on a search right now but he wanted you to look at me… how many time you lost with Scott Derek? How many moths? And just today he finally left behind his savage form… I reached my ultimate form and I’m on full control of….”

There is a breaking glass noise and then a loud snarl, Stiles quickly turns on his heels at the time he sees a gigantic black wolf coming in from the windows, it moves quick and gracefully on the air, before anyone has time to react it launches over Allison’s captor there is a groan and a moan and the human shaped wolf fall aside covered in blood. The one in front of Stiles steps back growling at Scott but still remains there without doing anything.

Stiles slowly kneels and grabs another shard of mirror focusing on the wholes that have Jackson and Lydia captive, his heart rate came out of control long ago and though his mind is clouded and dizzy he keeps fighting to stay awake, to stay alive.

“The beautiful and charming Scott McCall” Lauren says staring at the wolf that don’t misses its chance to show her the long rows of teeth.

Stiles can see Allison shaking next to him he wishes he could move to help her stand still but he is too scared… they are too fast.

“I always fancied about getting in the boy’s locker room while you bathed you know?” Lauren laughs.

Scott growls.

“Don’t look at me that way puppy momma Derek did a really bad job with you but we can’t take care of you… take you beyond your capability my offer Vernon and Erica it’s the same for you Scott… join us, leave Derek and don’t worry about him he will join us soon later”

Scott growls again.

“Whatever” The girl replies as if she could understand what Scott meant to say.

The black furred wolf jumped over Lauren with its massive muzzle wide open showing all its sharp fangs.

Slowly and gracefully Lauren kneels and spins on the floor below Scott’s body with an unnatural elasticity, she looks up as the boy-wolf’s body passes above her and she quickly starts doing small and short touches all over the wolf’s body. When she stands up again Scott is lying on the floor naked and unconscious.

“That was your secret weapon Derek?” Lauren says with disappointment on her voice.

Stiles stares at Scott’s unconscious body. It is too much information… they are here… The wolves are here and Derek’s pack is broken he has no one to help him, the town will fall and the era of the werewolves will start it will be the apocalypse Deaton was right! Deaton was right!

“As I was saying before Erica and Vernon I’m on the full control of my abilities even though today is full moon… you can join us and learn and live or you can become humans’ pets and die”

“You won’t win” Stiles mumbles with his voice shaking.

“Excuse me?” Lauren says moving her head toward him.

“You won’t win” Stiles repeats “YOU WON’T WIN!”

“Stiles, Stiles, Stiles” She says wandering “I don’t know what are you doing here, you are just a skinny and stubborn human, and actually I came to that conclusion months ago… I… I realized that there wasn’t anything remarkable about you despite you know… something I just feel right now… your reek of death but besides that you are nothing else than a pain in the ass. Erica was right she should have killed you months ago, I think I won’t make that same mistake”

Stiles steps back but is too late, she is already in front of him with a sadistic mock on her face.

“Stay away from him” Allison cries and shots her gun but Lauren isn’t there anymore, actually she is right behind Allison.

“Allison!” Stiles shouts.

The girl turns on her heels as fast as she can, but it is impossible for her to even Lauren’s speed, Stiles launches himself in the middle grabbing Allison by the hand and rising his other to protect himself while tugs Allison behind, the girl rises her other arm too.

“Look out” Both cry to each other at the unison. The spark burst… no it is not a spark it is an electric shock he can feel it running through his body and can hear cutting the air in half.

An intense but brief light fills the room illuminating everything and then a blast pushes them aside while the world spins in different shades of light blue, shards of glass sink below Stile’s back and chest as they roll on the floor backwards.

When Stiles stands Allison and him are still holding hands, his face is burning and all his hair has been pulled up as in bad hair day, he looks at his side with his head still spinning Allison looks the same way he feels, both are breathless and shocked. He looks ahead the room is cleared in the middle of the of the spot lighted by the full moon the floor has a charred circle as if a fire was lit just seconds ago in that same spot. Next to it is Lauren shaking uncontrollably.

“A light bolt” Allison and Stiles says again on unison and stare at each other stunned.

How is that possible?

“What?” Lauren tries to say in a pant, “What did you do to me?” She roars, her face is even blacker than Allison’s and her hair is all disheveled as well, she is having a hard time to stand.

One of her twenty companions hurry to help her stand.

“What did you do?” Roars again.

Stiles doesn’t’ know what to reply, he doesn’t know what just happened to them.

He struggles to stand and then the most horrifying sound in the world fills the air, it is an high pitched and powerful buzzing that makes him fall on his knees, at first he thinks he is shaking but then he realizes that it is the floor that is trembling, some mirrors and walls fall as all of them cover their ears to protect themselves for the overwhelming and scaring feeling that makes Stiles crumble on his feet reliving his most frightening nightmares. He starts puking over himself and he can see that Allison is doing it too, actually everyone is doing it, it is disgusting and unsetting it like if the earth itself is living creature letting out the scariest snarl in the whole world, something like a thunder mixed with the cry of millions of dying animals, his head is aching, it doesn’t matter how much he tries to protect his ears it doesn’t work he can feel it inside himself eating him by inside knocking the air out of his lungs taking the life away from him.

It stops. As unannounced and random as it started it stops.

“What… what was that?” Allison asks breathless next to him.

“The sound of a thousand wolves three cities away” One of the wolves next to Lauren reply.

“It’s time to go” Says the wolf holding Lauren.

“They won’t get away with it” She says biting her lips with her large fangs.

“We are leaving!” She orders to the rest of the wolves, and all of them stand including Erica and Vernon “But first” She says with an odious grin.

“Here is a present Derek in exchange for the two wolves we’re taking from your pack” She spills out with extreme pleasure in her voice.

“No!” Lydia’s voice cry.

Stiles jerks up his neck following the scream.

“Lydia!” Jackson shrieks.

Stiles tries to run toward them but he is too dazed his mind to cloud his body too lifeless and he falls on the floor his head facing the cheerleader and the jock. He is holding her by the hand and pulling of her while two wolves try to split their grasp as they dig their fangs in their necks.

“I love you” Jackson says as the tears run down his cheeks mixing with the blood that comes from his neck. “I love you”

“We will come for you Derek, you better be ready for us” Lauren announces as she gets swallowed by the shadows.

The wolves throws their bloody bodies on the floor and even though they are both unconscious by the shocked and blood loss they are still holding hands.

They are gone now. Stiles relives the last ten minutes of the fight in his head over and over again, while he struggles to stand the lightning the blood, the lovers his head aches… he is losing it… he is losing it… he can hear Allison crying, she is now with Lydia and Jackson touching their cheeks, he knows Derek is saying something but he can listen, he doesn’t get a word.

“…House” Derek says and Stiles comes back to real world. “Quickly!”

“What?” Stiles asks still dazed.

“We have to take them to Deaton’s house!” Derek says with agitated voice and then Stiles quickly stands… that’s it… that’s it, they just have to take them with Deaton he will save them… he will save them.

His mind is absent the whole way to Dr. Deaton’s place his T-shirt is all drenched in Jackson’s and Lydia’s blood of what he can think is that they are there lying in the back seat dying and he can’t help thinking in Jackson’s words before he fainted and how strong is their grip even now when they are in the back, he would like to take them to a hospital but he knows that it is impossible they wouldn’t know what to do with them in the best scenario they would die on ER but it doesn’t matter now he is willing to swallow his proud and throw himself on Deaton’s knees if he needs to. He will do everything in his power to save them.

When he stops the car Deaton and Marin are already outside the house both wearing scrubs. They have been waiting for them, once again they knew.

They get out of the car as fast they can and start carrying the bodies of the lovers inside, they agree to leave Scott rest some more they are not sure what Lauren did to him but he’s breathing is steady so they don’t worry much about him and rather to leave him in the truck while they are inside the house.

The house is lit all the furniture has been previously moved away to give them space, Derek carries Lydia’s body inside carefully while Allison and Stiles’ struggle with Jackson’s heavy body helped by Marin whose clothes are starting to get stained with the boy’s blood.

They take them to the basement and put both over the tables prepared, when they are both laying on their place Deaton steps in the middle and clears his throat.

“I must be honest” The doctor says with a grim face. “I have only enough herbs for one, the other will have to face the change”

“If you knew… If you knew why you didn’t collect enough? Why you didn’t?”Stiles roars fighting back his tears.

“It had to happen this way” Marin says with sad look on her eyes. “This decision had to be make. The other will be part of Derek’s pack”

“Lydia” Stiles and Allison say at once. “Save her”

Deaton nods “Alright”

Marin hurries to step next to Jackson carrying shinning silver chains with her and then starts tying Jackson to the table. “Can I at least use morphine on him?” She asks with hoarse voice.

Her dad nods.

“It won’t stop him from changing, but at least it will help him with the pain”

“Lydia” Deaton says with a smirk “You will be just fine in a couple of hours”

Stiles stays there in silence between Allison and Derek all of them staring at the cheerleader’s body, wearing the dress Stiles helped her to pick it is now ruined with all that blood. He tries to swallow the lump on his throat but it is impossible he is not strong enough he will…

Allison starts crying, Stiles puts a hand on her shoulder and she rests her head on him, he feels the spark that announces his imminent death on that same girl’s hands but he ignores it she needs someone to rely on and he needs to feel useful so he doesn’t break to mourn too.

“How is that…?” Deaton suddenly says frowning.

“What?” Stiles asks with trembling voice.

“The bite… it wasn’t supposed to be in her neck” Deaton mutters thoughtful.

“What do you mean?” Marin asks detaching her eyes from Jackson to look at her dad arching a brow.

“When I saw it… it was in… her leg”

“What does that mean?” Derek inquires gaping.

There is a pause where Deaton cranes his neck toward Stiles or Allison he can’t tell which one of them but again there is that look… that puzzled and unfamiliar look on his eyes as if he is trying to look through them.

He shakes his head “Nothing” He mumbles with doubt on his voice “Maybe I’m just confused and don’t remember well what I’ve saw”

After that they stay in silence for hours looking at Deaton mixing herbs putting some leaves on Lydia’s neck. The times Jackson started shaking violently on his table Allison and Stiles had to look away and clasp their ears, it was too painful to stare and disturbing to hear the clattering of the chains against the metal table.

At three in the morning or so Deaton starts knitting Lydia’s wound and they all start feeling a little calmer about it thought there are millions of questions on Stiles’ mind though he has been avoiding to think about them, Lydia and Jackson are their main concern right now and it is the only thing matters.

“It is done” Deaton announces whipping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, “you must take care of her, she can’t get the bite again, if she gets bitten she will die almost instantly and there is nothing I will be able to do about it. Now I’ll make sure it gets the more comfortable as possible for the boy”

“I wish we could do something to make it easier for her” Allison mutters.

“Change the story” Marin suggests.

Stiles snorts with sarcasm.

“I mean it” Marin says dryly. “Here” She addresses the drawer at her back and handles the book Deaton showed him the day before when they were taking care of Derek’s wounds.

“It is called Revertere” She explains showing him the recipe in a parchment page. “It helps with stressful situations you change the story for someone taking a part of them”

“A part of them?” Allison repeats fearful.

“It can be anything deeply attached to the subject”

“Her hair” Stiles mutters.

“Yes it could be her hair” The girl agrees.

Stiles comes back to life and walks toward Marin “I need scissors”

“In the third drawer at the left”

After hearing Marin’s instructions Stiles hurries to run to the drawer, inside there are some paper cuts that looks ancient and in languages he hadn’t see below them is are a pair of rusty scissors. He grabs them and hurries to run to the table he stumbles on his way and feels the sharp and cold cut of the ice metal on his palm that rapidly drenches on his warm blood.

He lets out a cry of pain holding his palm with his other hand.

“I told you to not run with scissors” Deaton says stubbornly without looking at him.

“Give it to me” Allison says stretching a hand to Stiles.

He gives her the scissors and she helps him stand, while he presses the hem of his shirt in the wound to stop the painful bleeding.

“Let me see it” Derek orders taking him by the forearm and rising the injured palm to take a closer look.

Stiles’ feels his cheeks burning while the werewolf takes a look at his wounded hand. “Don’t” He hurries to say knowing Derek’s intention. “I need it” He assures “I need it to know that I’m not crazy at least not yet”

Derek’s blue flames meet Stile’s eyes for a second then let’s his grasp from the boys’ arm.

“Cut a strand of hair and throw it around the body describing a circle three times in clockwise direction whispering the things you want her to forget. Then do the same four times counterclockwise telling her the story you want her to believe” Marin instructs and Allison nods.

The girl approaches Lydia’s still body with shaky hands, Stiles watches her take a deep breath but it doesn’t help she won’t stop shaking and mourning.

“Let me help you” Derek suggests reaching her.

“Don’t touch me!” Allison cries glaring at him and taking another deep breathing to start cutting.

It takes Allison half an hour to complete the binding half hour that seems for them even more difficult than the operation. When she is done Dr. D tells them that is safe to take her home.

When they come out of the house Stiles gets a glimpse of a golden light in the horizon, it is the birth of a new day and even thought it looks like the end Stiles now knows it is only the beginning, soon they will come and they need to be ready to probably die fighting to protect their home and the people they love.

When Derek gets Lydia in the back seat Stile’s notices that the trunk is empty, the pain strikes him in the chest.

“He will be back” Derek assures with deep voice. “He just needs time to assimilate what just happened”

Stiles nods and climbs up in his jeep, he takes his keys and they fall from his hand on his feet, he bends to take them back and starts looking again for the gas’ key but his hands won’t stop trembling, it doesn’t matter how many times he washed them he keeps seeing the blood on them Lydia’s and Jackson’s blood on his hands, they are alive, they are safe, but what are they going to do now? They won’t be so lucky the next time.

“I’ll drive” Derek says snatching the keys from his hands.

…….

Allison follows Stile’s jeep while they take Lydia back on her home, she can’t stop thinking what the girl’s parents must think about what happened that night Lydia’s boyfriend is dead after all, that is what Stiles told her when she was casting the Revertere binding she had to adjust the story to the reality that they wouldn’t be able to chance for her friend, the most painful part was to erase Jackson’s words she can’t stop feeling guilty because Lydia loved him and he loved her back but she will ever know that Jackson is now a werewolf and the best of them is to stay way if they want to keep Lydia she must keep thinking that Jackson doesn’t love her, it hurts and its sad but it is for her own good.

Derek gracefully climbs’ to Lydia’s room window carrying the girl it is amazing how for a second he can look so human and even delicate in his actions she can’t stop thinking about what Stiles said in that building about Derek not being the one who murdered her mom, but it doesn’t make any sense, she heard Deaton telling the story to Stiles’ after all, it just must be another lie, like the millions they told her the past months.

That Lydia is rest in her bed Allison can’t stop feeling uneasy, she doesn’t know where to go or what do to, she is lost, she said she didn’t want to see her father anymore, but after all she has seen and done today the only thing she wants right now is to fall on his arm and tell him how scared she is how she still is a frightened little word that is afraid of the dark more than ever now, telling him how much she needs him right now when she saw the life almost fading away from her friends body and she needs rest and she her bed and she needs the things to come back to normal at least for one night on this case for one day, it is Saturday maybe if she comes inside he won’t throw her away, he will let her rest in her bed and forget that all of this ever happened.

She takes the curb to her street while the golden light in the horizon stretches and she gets blinded by its shine, for a second there so much light that she is not sure if it is really dawn or midday, it is so bright she can’t see, she can’t see the way so she stops the car before crashing it and climbs down the finish her way on foot the problem is that her house isn’t there, just large pieces of debris and in a tall wall of fire is all what remains.

…….

Derek Stops the car in front of Stiles’ place and both climb down, it is over! It is finally over, at least for now. They both meet in front of the jeep.

“What now?” Stiles asks listless.

“I gotta train Jackson” Derek says with tiredness on his voice.

“Isaac?” Stiles suggests.

“What did you do to him?” Derek asks puzzled.

“Made him regret betraying you guys” Stiles says with a slight grin.

Derek smirks. “I’ll need all the help I can get, if he is really repents what he did I guess I have no other choice than accept him back”

“You’re not as bad as I thought” Stiles says surprised.

There is a long silence between the two. He fixes his eyes on Derek’s chest now fully healed with no trace of the mortal wound that almost killed him just a day ago, werewolves are amazing.

Derek grumbles, “Didn’t your mom taught you that staring is rude?” Asks the werewolf with sharp and flaring blue eyes.

“Didn’t yours taught you that strangling people is too?” Stiles shots back thought feeling a little embarrassed.

“Are you starting with that again?” Derek replies rolling his eyes.

“Get over it Sparky I was just checking you were fine”

“How did you called me?” The werewolf growls, his temple’s vein dangerously throbbing.

Stiles lets out a brief chuckle, wow he almost forgets the sound of his own laughs.

“What did you say before in that place about Allison’s mother” Derek starts looking at him straight in the eyes.

Stiles steps back intimidated, fuck! He forgot he said that, shit! “I…”

“What?” Derek grunts.

He wishes he could tell him the truth, he wishes he could tell Derek that he isn’t the monster he thinks he is but he is afraid that if Derek finds the truth will join forces with the Fenrir, he is starting to understand why Deaton never gets involve, it is too much pressure for a single human being to bear, dangerous information that could change everything, the path of the world hidden among words, is he doing the right thing?

“I just made it up to save your ass” Stiles lies looking away.

“Don’t lie to me!” Derek menaces.

“I’m telling you the truth! Geez! Can’t you just live with that? I saved your ass twice today can’t you just be happy with it at least once?”

Derek’s stark look softens for a second then he looks a little embarrassed, Stile’s isn’t sure if it is the sunrise but he can sure he just saw some blush under the werewolf’s stubble.

 _You won’t admit that a human saved you right? Bastard!_ He can’t believe how proud this jackass can be!

“Three times” Derek says reestablishing the eye contact.

“What?” Stiles frowns.

“That thing you did… the lightning…saved us”

 _The lightning._ He… doesn’t want to think about it now. It looks like Derek gets it, their eyes are so close that he knows Derek can see his discomfort with the subject and he respects that because he doesn’t mention it or say anything else for at least two minutes.

“Stiles” Derek mutters with deep voice.

 _Weird_. He is not sure why but his name… just sounded odd to his own hears as if it wasn’t his… Derek… then the memories come to his mind, all the times they have seen each other, Derek hadn’t called him by his name not even once maybe that is the reason why his chest feels so funny and awkward right now. Derek finally acknowledges him.

“Yes?” Stiles asks breathless.

“Stay away from me” The wolf says with utter hatred on his voice.

Stiles stays standing there shocked and before he realizes Derek is gone.

He is about to get home to have well deserved full day sleep to try to forget all the shit they just came through but when is getting into the loan gets a glimpse of a lit window in the second story of the next door’s house, he jumps the fence and comes through the broken barricade tape, opens the door and slowly closes it behind him, uneasy he climbs the stairs that take to Scott’s room he opens the door and finds her. Scott’s mom crouched on the floor holding Scott’s blanket and silently mourning over it, she is wearing a white scrubs, was she… in the hospital? It doesn’t matter she is fine now. Is she? Stiles slowly reaches her, she doesn’t react or say anything about the blood over him, he just sits there next to her and then holds her body while she falls apart into pieces the same way she did for him just months ago. Stiles sighs, somewhere not far from there a lonely wolf is howling.

 

END OF THE FIRST HALF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys as you just read it is the end of the first half of the story please tell me in the comments if you would rather read the continuation on a new work or should I add the next chapters in this one?


	16. ARRIVAL

SECOND HALF

SHOULD NOT BE TOLD

XVI

ARRIVAL

 

He is walking down a giant meadow, there are flowers from all kinds and colors, yellow daisies, sunflowers and daffodils that shine so bright like tiny suns, elegant ivory magnolias, crimson roses and rosy tulips and so many more which names he can’t place in his mind. The trees whistle at his ear with the slow blow of the wind, the sky is black and starry yet there is a mysterious light that illuminates the fresh grass, the seven fluttering butterflies and the corpses, hundreds of them afloat in a still and thick river of blood, he is standing in the middle of it, drenched in pain, decay and the leftovers of strangers and the people he once loved. They are all dead.

“Everything will be over soon” A voice says.

Stiles jerks up and falls from his bed, he hits his head against the wooden floor, his forehead is drenched in cold sweat and his heart his slamming violently against his ribs.

 _Breath_ he thinks as his chest automatically rises and falls heavily. He manages to gather some strength and slowly stands up helped by the nightstand next to his bed.

It was the dream again, damn he is exhausted, but he won’t be able to fall asleep, not after that disturbing nightmare… their lifeless eyes all fixed on him…the smell of death… that disgusting taste of guilt in his lips… he hadn’t sleep much lately, this is the third time this week he wakes up drenched on sweat like this with this visions haunting him in the back of his mind, something bad is happening to him he can feel it, he is not sleeping much because of the dreams, well actually he can’t remember when was the last time he got a full night sleep, but it have been months obviously, his body is sore and his muscles taut, it is because of the tension that has been gathering on his shoulders… he has been waiting, waiting for months in the darkness in the loneliness of his dusty bedroom for the arrival of the monsters that will come to murder his best friend and everyone he cares about and it is all his fault because he isn’t dead yet…. Well it is really complicated though, but it all started on last October.

Stiles is a normal teenager, well at some point he was a normal teenager you know the awkward boy with social anxiety and issues to flirt with girls… but it all faded the moment his mom died a year ago, he turned melancholic and lonely, he only let his best friend came into his world and it all started affecting his dad. And speaking of his best friend, well Stiles was out of the town for two years when his mom was on chemo. When he got back everything was different, his best friend wasn’t a loser, wasn’t a dork and definitely wasn’t his friend, something happened to Scott while he was out, well actually happened few weeks before he came back. He was bitten… by an ancient and powerful creature, a beast wrapped in fangs and claws which only weakness is the sarcasm and of course a long poisoned knife coming through his chest, a werewolf. Yeah it sounds stupid, actually Stiles got a rough time trying to get used to the idea of the existence of the werewolves and he almost died trying to discover what the hell was murdering the bullies of the town. Werewolves! Beacon hills used to have hundreds of them, they lived in peace until they were attacked by a large army of Binders who accused them of sending Derek –yup, the guy who bit Scott- to murder one of their leaders, well Derek actually murdered the woman but it wasn’t his fault it was all a trap that was set up by an awful Binder thirsty of power, but Derek can’t know the truth because if he finds out he will join an army of a thousand wolves and the human race would be vanished from the earth, that’s why Derek bit Scott, because he needs to stop the army of wolves before a war against the Binders explodes.

Speaking of Binders, they are some sort of things like magicians though his father’s best friend Dr. D defines them as people with knowledge, they have always existed in all countries and cultures, a Binder is a mix of all of things learned through the years by elders in all of the corners of the world, they have great willpower and have been at war against almost any supernatural creature since the world exists. He has learned a lot about them since the first time he heard the word on the lips of Mr. Cranky fleas Derek Hale, but the most important of all of the things that he has learned is that he is one of them, he can bind though he is not sure why, he has been reading a little about it lately and there is not a clear reason why some people are better candidates to cast binds than others, it isn’t in the genes or in the learning, though it is also thought that the willpower is somehow deeply bonded to the personality and temper.

None of it matters now because he can’t take part in the war, he can’t help his best friend or anyone else because he is cursed, he should have died sixteen years ago, him or his friend Allison but none of them did, death has been hunting them since them hurting people around them like their moms, they died because of them, they have this strange thing in them that makes them the livings murphy’s law, whether something can go wrong they will make it happen. The wolves are scared of them and that is why he can’t help them, Derek explicitly told him to stay away and Scott didn’t even have to, he just left from Stiles life, he lost his best friend because of the war and it hadn’t even started yet.

Speaking of the war, there are only four werewolves in Beacon Hills now, and they are planning facing the army of thousand that is coming after them, the problem is… that the army never made it to Beacon, they pledged they would come for Derek in December, they are in the last week of May and the mega pack of werewolves hadn’t get to the town yet, it is frustrating and frightening for Stiles, the first months he used to wake up scared he would come out of his house to find everyone dead and the streets turned into rivers of blood, but a week became a month and a month became a trimester and then almost six months had almost gone and there is no sign of the monsters who promised to come to take everything they love with them, and though the anxiety faded a little Stiles is still afraid as the first day he saw them in action once and he knows what they are capable of, he doesn’t know if Scott and the others will actually be able to stop them and all he can do is believe in his best friend, but in other hand he can’t stop feeling scared for his dad and Scott’s mom they should be out of the town, finding a safe place to hide before it is too late but his father doesn’t know anything about the creatures that lurk in the shows of the trees in the woods and he wouldn’t believe him if he tell him, it doesn’t matter how much he thinks about it, he doesn’t know how to come with a good lie to get his dad out, to save him and at the same time make him understand that he Stiles must stay, to die and put an end to all this, because as long as he lives all their lives are in danger.

…….

Last year everything changed, Allison lost her mom when she was just a girl and she lived with her dad since then. She grew up thinking that her father was a boring architect, a nomad who took his daughter all around the country when she was a kid, they never stayed long in one place, but everything changed when he decided to come back to Beacon Hills, the place where they lived once when they weren’t broken, when her mom was still alive and they were a normal family or at least that is what she thought. Allison’s life has been a lie, she got a hard time when last year she found all those passports of girls with her same face and different names, to not mention her dad’s secret apartment from which he spied the whole city, nothing in her life is normal not since they decided to come back.

She tasted the joy and happiness, she lived a wonderful life with her dad and discovered how was to fall in love with a boy thanks to Scott but those were also lies, her dad wasn’t an architect he was a Hunter, a kind of soldier whose work is to find and destroy threats as werewolves and whatever else is out there. Scott wasn’t a boy he was a monster, a creature that played with her heart that gave her as much nightmares and sweet dreams in the nights, he was the reason why her heart beat so hard when she felt him around as a human or wolf, he was the monster in her nightmares and for a day she also believed that he was responsible of the murdered boys in the town.

Her life is complicated, there is something hidden inside her, she can Bind, sometimes she feels these weird energy within that tells her what do to whenever it is necessary like that one time when she came through dozens of cents with the same amount of arrows, she is an archer though she is not sure how it did happened, she never took lessons and even when it is truth that she practiced a lot last year all that time she couldn’t help feeling that her hands somehow recalled how to hold a bow and how to shot an arrow as if they were used to it, there is magic inside her and also inside her frie… that guy… Stiles, every time they meet their eyes or touch each other something happens, a feeling like an electric and powerful spark prickles her in her hand and though they hadn’t talk about it she knows it happens to him too. She always suspected that Stiles felt it too though she never dared to bring the subject just in case she was wrong and he started looking at her as she was crazy, but one night everything changed. That night when her friends were taken by force by extremely dangerous and scaring werewolves who wanted to hurt them, Allison is not sure how or why but that moment when they touched and the spark flew something, a living and stronger energy came through their bodies and jolted out of them calling the skies to obey their command. A lightning struck the she wolf that almost killed them that night, a shy girl that used to go to school with them.

Everything has changed since then, that night Allison almost lost her best friend Lydia, she also realized that she couldn’t trust Stiles and Scott, and saw the face of the man who murdered her mother, it was too much to bear but it could only get worse, she lost something more that night, the most important thing she had… her father, that cold night of December Allison learned the truth about her mother, she discovered who was her dad and her friends and she cried and she thought it was the end of the world, how wrong she was…she yelled at him, she said so many horrible things to her dad and she even shot an arrow to his head but who wouldn’t? She was hurt, every little detail about her life was a lie, she needed to get rid of all those painful feelings and the anger and she needed to drain them so she did. Her dad vanished after that, well he didn’t vanish, their house was set on fire. According to the police station there was an electrical accident and in matter of hours everything in her life and her parent’s home was turned into ashes. Her dad isn’t dead, well, she is not sure actually. Everything happened so fast that she is still a little confused, some nights she wakes up and thinks she is at home that she is safe and then she realizes that her dad is gone, no one knows what happened to him. Two bodies were found among the debris of her home, two adult men, no one knows what they were doing there she can’t remember their names now but she suspects they were her dad’s friends, the ones he called to help him defeat the werewolves in the town. Those were rough and scary months, she lived with her eyes wide open wishing that none of the bodies were her dad’s thought at the same time it frightened her because if none were her dad’s then where the hell was he and why he left? She remembers he said something about being in danger and practically being hiding or something like it, are the bodies of her dad’s enemies? She is not sure about anything anymore, she fell apart that night, when she realized that her life was far from being perfect, normal or at least happy, that night she understood that she was going to live scared and trembling and gagging in fear until her tears turned into sand and her throat scorched raw for so much painful screams.

The morning after what happened to her home they took her away, she was locked into a waiting room with her eyes sore and her mind clouded, she reminds the green painted walls and all those portraits of beautiful women, she can’t remember well because she was on shock then but she thinks she was in a psychiatric clinic, a woman talked to her, asked tons of questions about her life, her dad, if they had a recent arguing or something like it, she had to lie, she had to lie to every little question the woman asked and was then when she realized that her life came back to be just it a big lie but she had no other choice, how could she? How could she say the woman that she effectively had an arguing with her dad? And that the subject was basically how many lies fit in his mouth and don’t forget her mom’s death, how could she tell that lady that she discovered that her mom was murdered by a werewolf? How could she explain the existence of supernatural creatures? She would have to also explain that she was a Binder or whatever, she would have tell her that she and Stiles fried a bitch that night with the magical feeling they have every time they see each because they have some kind of weird and inexplicable connection? No Alison wasn’t dumb, that woman though was pretty gentle and sweet wouldn’t be able to help her. No one would. Instead she would have locked her down for good for setting her house on fire and made up a crazy story about mythical creatures and furred ex-boyfriends. Thought in some way she was locked down after all.

Allison has been in a foster house the past five months, they tried to keep her life as normal as possible after everything that happened and since the older girl in there after her is eight years old they decided to give Allison her own room where she could feel safe and have the privacy that someone that had come through that kind of tragedy needs, of course they are constantly over her making sure she won’t commit suicide or anything once in a week a psychologist comes to see her in her room and they talk about how she is feeling, Dr. Fintshood is a good woman, she is patience and doesn’t urge Allison to talk whenever she doesn’t want to, also she thinks that Allison’s dad is fine, Allison does too because it doesn’t make sense, they didn’t find his body and all trace of him vanished, Allison still fears for his life she thinks he might be taken by a wolf, if Derek wouldn’t have been with her when her house was set on fire she would have bet it was him who did it, all she wants to know if her dad is alive and where he is, does he need help? Did he leave because all of the awful things she said? She is not sure anymore, it is too much complicated. She hurt her dad maybe not as much as he hurt her but yet she feels guilty and lonely. She doesn’t talk with anyone anymore, not even at school, it doesn’t matter how much she tries she can’t trust in Stiles or Scott, they said so many lies just like her dad, Jackson is a werewolf now and she doesn’t want to do anything with his kind, though he is a good boy all the werewolves she had known had somehow hurt her.

The only person she talks to is Lydia, her friend is the same which is a big relief she thought that she could experiment side effects after being bitten by a werewolf but she wasn’t. Lydia offered Allison her home after everything but Dr. Fintshood thought it would be a little stressful for her and that maybe in two or three months and when Lydia came up with the idea again in April Allison kindly refused her friends’ offering, not because she didn’t trust Lydia but because she had to stay away from her, if her dad was taken by someone, kidnapped by werewolves. They would come for her sooner or later and Allison doesn’t want to put her friend at risk again, instead she has been working hard all this time, to be ready when they arrive, she is not a frightened little girl anymore, she is a woman now. A deadly one.

…….

“Scott” Murmurs a voice.

Scott jolts on his bed and almost falls from it, he rolls on his back with his heart banging his chest. He looks up.

Jackson is staring at him from his window with a grin on his face.

“Jackson you scared me” Scott says groggily rubbing his eyes.

Jackson rolled his eyes. “Are you ready?” The boy asks arching a brow.

“What for?” Scott says puzzled.

“Dude you promise you would train with me tonight” Jackson reminds him.

Had he? Scott isn’t sure. “Can we do it tomorrow? I’m really tired” He lied, he wasn’t in the mood actually. Time to time Scott had these hurtful feelings in his chest, he has been doing his best to push away the sadness but it eventually hits him at least once in a week. He can’t stop having this dreams when Allison and he are still together, where she or his mom never found out the horrible truth about him but… they are just dreams, they know the truth.

“Come on! You promised me” Jackson reproaches. “Is it because of Allison? Or Stiles?”

 _Stiles_ Scott reminds in his mind, he has been trying to not think about his…best friend? He isn’t sure what are they anymore, since what happened last year Scott has been doing his best to stay away from his life, he is doing it to protect him, Scott cares too much about him to put him at risk so even though he misses him even more now that he doesn’t have Allison and his relationship with his mom has settled into a cold and long silence Scott can’t help craving for him in his guts, but he can’t do anything about it. Plus there is the other thing… the scent, the smell his nostrils caught every day at school whenever Allison or Stiles are near him, he isn’t sure if he is imagining it or if it is real but the thing is that it is overwhelming, whenever he feels it in the air… that sweet and happy fragrance that at the same time is ancient and wild, sad and scaring it takes him up and down at the same time like being in a rollercoaster, it makes him crave for them and warns him at the same time to run away, to get away from them before it is too late.

He shakes his head.

“Could you train with Derek tonight? I promise I’ll go with you tomorrow” He suggests.

“Oh come on Scott!” Jackson says annoyed, “The Fenrir might be on his way to the town right now! We need to be ready!”

“It’s been months Jackson!” Scott grunts “Even if they’re actually on their way I’m sure they aren’t going to attack the town tonight!”

Jackson sighs “You’re stubborn, captain”

Scott snorts “That would be you”

“I know it have been a while, I’ve dying in fear the last months thinking that they might be here anytime, asking me why they hadn’t come yet, hoping for them to forget us and let us be…but… I know it isn’t real, they are playing with us. It is part of their strategy”

“How’s that?” Scott asks startled.  

“They tell us they’re coming in matter of weeks, and make us work hard to be ready and then we wait…and wait… and wait, but they never come, it is just to scare us, to make us paranoid, to make us lose our minds and gave up to them when they actually come, that’s why we need to be ready!”

Scott opens his eyes wide, it made sense to him and it only made the Fenrir and his wolves even scarier than before. “Can I ask you something?”

Jackson frowns “Sure” nods.

“Why did you accept to help us?” Scott inquires with interest.

Jackson takes a moment to meditate his answer and then with a stern look he speaks “To protect everything I care about” Explains.

Scott nods and parts his lips to reply but Jackson speaks first.

“And because I want to make them pay for everything they have done!”

Scott knows that feeling, when he woke up in Stiles’ jeep that night outside Dr. D’s home, and he saw how they dragged Jackson and Lydia’s bodies inside… He wanted them to pay for what they did, it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t.

“The night they bit me, I felt so powerless and scared. I saw those monsters using us as tools against you guys and I couldn’t do anything about it, I just could stay there sweating cold and scared, I also peed my pants that night, and when they got us and they bit Lydia and I realized that I let that happen that I couldn’t save her… I just wanted them dead”

“So you…” Scott starts. “You’re happy to be a wolf?”

“I don’t know, sometimes it is overwhelming but amazing, other days it is scary and complicated, I can’t stop thinking about her, wishing I could approach and say hi, stop pretending that I’m an asshole in front of her and tell her how much I miss her”

Scott gets chills just the thought of how much Jackson hurts for Lydia, and then he realizes that he feels the same way about Allison, it looks like being a werewolf ruins your love life automatically, because now that he thinks about it all of them are single.

“I have to be ready, even if I’ll never be with her again I need to save her when they come and I need your help” Jackson affirms determinate.

“Alright I’ll go” Scott gives up annoyed and gets out of bed taking off his pajamas.

…….

She watch them leave through his window. She comes into the room when she is sure they are far away and takes a moment to sit in his bed. It have been five months since that day, the day she realized that many things about her life were really wrong, the day she lost her son. She has been spying Scott since them, watching an horrific wolf turn into her son in the lake broke something inside her… no… it wasn’t that, it was the fact that she shoot him, that she tried to kill him what really hurts her. Those days she looked for the murderer of two poor local kids, of course Stiles told her the truth, it wasn’t her Scott, it wasn’t her baby who was murdering people in the town, instead it was two psychotic monsters that betrayed them, she also knows that Scott is a werewolf not like the ones in the movies that get furred coats on full moons, almost every stressful situation can trigger his transformation which is twice of complicated considering that he is still a teenager. She had to understand a lot in a short period of time, the hardest part of all was look for him in the woods the day after she found out the truth, and find him naked soaked in tears staring at the frozen lake shimmering with the first rays of sun.

She had to accept him, it wasn’t his fault what he became, it was that boy Derek Hale, he is a werewolf too, the leader of the wolves, who turned her baby in a monster to achieve his ambitions, at first she thought it was crazy, but now she is calmer, Stiles didn’t gave her much details but she knows that something bad is about to happen, he promised Scott will be normal again soon, and she wants to believe him but even if Scott becomes fully human again, there is a wide gap between them and she isn’t sure if they will ever be able to through it. She wants to understand what is going on, she wants her son to be safe and help him with whatever he has in hands but… she is too scared of her son to do anything.

…….

Stiles washes his face in the sink and comes back into his room and boots up his laptop, maybe he find something in the deep web about the dreams he sick of them and deep inside he knows that they aren’t normal nightmares, no one should be afraid of getting into bed and yet the same happens to him every night. While he waits the computer to fully start the OS he decides to come downstairs to pour himself a cup of coffee, he needs to get rid of his dizziness, it doesn’t matter how tired he is he doesn’t want to fall asleep again, at least not until he is sure he will peacefully rest as he used to long ago.

He climbs down the stairs in the darkness and turn left to head to the kitchen, when he gets in he finds it lighted up, he spins to his right and finds his dad’s back to him leaning over the washing machine.

“Dad!” He says startled “What are you doing here?”

His dad jumps on his feet and quickly turns on his heels “oh, hey son, you scared me!’

Stiles arches a brow.

“I was came to leave my coat, a kid just vomited all over me and it went all messy”

 _Gross_ he thinks trying push away the thought of his dad swimming in a pull of bile.

“What are you doing awake? You got school tomorrow” His dad observes disapprovingly.

“I just came to have a glass of water” Stiles lies and approaches the pantry to snatch a cup, then he reaches the sink and turns the key and starts filling the cup with fresh water.

“Alright, I’m off now” His dad announces as the washer machine starts making noises. “I’ll see you in the morning” Adds as he addressed him and kiss his forehead to head out by the kitchen door.

Stiles sighs as he drinks and squeezes his eyes, he is still grounded by disobeying his dad which is stupid considering that he it was almost six months ago thought it is also truth that when he finally saw his dad he changed his attitude toward him, after chastising him for hours there was flicker in his eyes that made Stiles realize how worried he was about him. Stiles can’t help feeling constantly guilty his dad thought he might have lost him twice last year, the same year his mom passed away, it is too much for the man to handle. Stiles isn’t sure how his dad manages to watch sick and dying people every day at work it most keep a constant remind on him of how much they lost in a short period of time.

He turns back the sink key and washes the cup when he gets a glimpse of Scott’s window through the gap on his, the light is on which means that his best friend is having sleeping troubles too. He leans to get a better view and it is now when he realizes that there is someone peeking through the window and it isn’t Scott but his mom. _Crap_ Stiles thinks as he steps back, he doesn’t want Mrs. M to see him now, he has been trying to avoid her since he told her the truth about Scott, he only said the shallowest part of the story behind Scott’s transformation, he never spoke about Derek’s intention and the war and he is pretty sure she must be wondering why the wolf wanted to turn Scott in the first place and why Scott comes out of home so often on late nights, he knows she is trying to understand to settle things down but he can’t tell her the truth, she won’t be able to handle the fact that Scott will probably die anytime soon.

Stiles turns off the light and starts the way back to his room. When he is in the last step of the ladder he hears a jamming white noise coming from his room, he hurries to approach the bed where he finds it poorly illuminated by his laptop’s screen, it is now fully operative. He sits and puts the laptop on his lap, he forgot he got his hacking program to start with the OS, He started using it the next week after what happened with the wolves at the Sadie Hawkins dance’s night. It connects his computer to the police’s department frequency so he can know about whatever crazy thing is happening in the town. At first he used to lay on his bed at nights listening to the radio transmission waiting for the pandemonium to start out of the blue, but after months of nothing and officers talking about finding kids getting high in the squares he lost interest.

He is about to close the window to start his research trough the deep web when a distorted voice speaks and catches his attention.

“No… I’m not sure” Says the voice and then another quickly replies “Yeah there have been some calls”

“Are you sure about it?”

“Positive”

“From where you think it came?”

“Most of the calls come from Maple Street”

_Maple Street?_

“I think that….wait… did you hear that?”

“Affirmative”

“What was it?”

“I’m not sure, we better get reinforcements”

Stiles closes his laptop openmouthed, a noise in Maple Street? It only can come from one place… the woods.

He wraps himself in his red hoodie and take his jeep’s keys. He comes downstairs and makes sure to come out of home and stealthy as possible –he is sure his neighbors spy him since what happened in Scott’s home last December- He climbs into his Car and drives off.

He doesn’t even stop to look at his old house when he passes by, the police is about to look for something in the woods and that something might be Scott, he wasn’t at his room after all. He stops his jeep behind large bushes in the wood line and gets down. He takes a deep breath and looks forward, into the darkness of gnarled trees and fallen leaves, the earth is soft and muddy. He gasps annoyed, he hadn’t been here in a while. The forest is enchanted, well, not actually enchanted. Dr. D casted a binding in it for people to get lost and wander around it randomly until they eventually end out of it, but it doesn’t work on him, last year he learned a lot of things about himself and one of them was that he was strong and he could bend the binding and use it at his advantage to get wherever he wanted inside the woods.

He is about to get in when he realizes that the police is coming, they might find his jeep on their way and he could get in trouble so instead of walking in he climbs back into it and starts driving in the dusty road when he hear it…and echoing and loud crack like a tree being rip off from root, it gives him chills as he stops the car and the noise keeps growling awfully everywhere. Shit the cops are definitely going to come here, he needs to find Scott now. He hits the gas and drives following the source of the crack, maybe the cops will get lost in the woods but if they keep looking sooner or later they will find Scott and whatever he is doing in here.

He drives for ten minutes in silence with no clue of from where comes the sound and then he hears it once more, fighting the shiver he concentrates on finding the source and takes the next curve at the left. The lights of his jeep get a glimpse of two dark shapes leaning into the thickness of the trees, when the lights hits them both of them quickly turn and sparkling eyes stare at Stiles. He gets Goosebumps and feels a little uneasy as he comes out, it’s a long time since the last time he spoke to Scott but there he is, tall and bulky with Olive skin and amber eyes, something aches inside Stiles’ chest as he approaches them.

“Stiles!” Scott says startled to see him, and by the look on his eyes glowing eyes this situation must be as awkward for him as it is for his friend.  

“What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” Stiles repeats unable to believe what he is hearing.

“There is a cop party coming because there is a weird noise coming from the woods and….Wow!” He exhales stunned “What the hell is that?”

Jackson and Scott frown at him then but turn to look at their backs where there is a line of five long logs of almost fifteen feet tall.

“Trees” Jackson replies self-sufficient.

“I know what they are!” Stiles reproaches. “What I don’t get is hos in the hell did you do that!”

Scott scoffs and hides a smirk, and suddenly Stiles feels the urgency to smack him in the head. “We were just training a little” Explains.

“We” Stiles repeats for himself resentful.

“Look… um… I think you should go” Scott says without daring to look at him.

And that’s it… after months of silence they finally see each other and it is actually as hard as Stiles imagined it would be, it is unfair, he want to be part of it he wants to help somehow but the look on Scott’s eyes…

“Don’t feel bad buddy, it’s just a wolf’s thing” Jackson tries to cheer him up in a sloppy way.

“A wolf thing?” Stiles grunts.

“Stiles…” Scott starts but Stiles ignores him.

“Let me tell you something Mr. Pup, when no one was around when you didn’t even have a clue about werewolves I was here, helping! Doing something! So don’t treat me like I don’t get what’s going on”

“Stiles…” Scott repeats.

“Last year when no one had a clue of what the hell was going on, if it wasn’t for me…”

“Stiles!”

Stiles suddenly stopped “I’m sorry, look you better get out of here, they police is on their way and…” Oh shit! “The police!”

Patrols’ sirens started to sound near them, making them exchange panicked looks.

“Come on!” Stiles cried beckoning them to follow him to his jeep.

“Come on! Drive!” Scott urges him as he tries to get away from there.

They get in the road, the trees passing near his window at high speed as he tries to get out of the way of the cops, he almost feels like playing a real life version of need for speed though in this one the police didn’t know that they were looking for them.

“Why in the hell you had to rip off those trees? Do you have any idea of how much noise it did?”

“Jackson just wanted to do some practice, things are getting pretty weird with the Fenrir and everything else, they hadn’t come and we can’t stop feeling like they are here somewhere, watching… waiting”

“And why you didn’t tell me anything?” Stiles reproaches as he tightens his grip in the steering wheel.

“Stile…”

“I have people to protect too Scott! My dad! Remember? I can’t just wait for that crazy werewolf to knock at our door and chop my dad’s head off!”

“He wouldn’t knock at your door, you would be death before you even have a chance to notice” Says a deep voice next to Stiles left ear which makes him suddenly stop the car as his heart leapt and he lets out a high pitched and short cry.

“Derek!” He says shocked looking at his left where a dark and tall figure is standing before him, it’s been a while since the werewolf told him to stay away and yet he hadn’t change at all. He is tall and broad chested with pale skin and short black hair, with a subtle stubble and icy-blue eyes that still make Stiles shiver.

“You almost gave a heart attack!” He growls trying to calm his heartbeat.

The wolf’s eyes flicker as his thing lips curve into a mock and then he speaks. “Move” He orders beckoning Stiles to sit next to Scott in the passenger seat.

“What? No! This is my car”

“Shut up and do it” Derek grunts.

They start hearing the sirens again and Stiles hits the gas starts driving away, there is nothing to worry about, Derek is perfectly capable of running into his cabin with his own legs.

“Hi guys” Suddenly says Isaac’s voice next to Scott but this time Stiles doesn’t stop the car.

Stiles looks through the rearview mirror to see if the patrols are coming behind them but instead he gets a glimpse of Derek darting toward them at high speed, Stiles looks back at the road when he feels the big bad wolf’s eyes on his left again but this time Derek doesn’t say anything instead he hurls his hand into the car and opens the door.

“What the hell?” Stiles yelps.

With a quick flick of his hand Derek takes Stiles by the arm and pressing high tight and moves him next to Scott in the passenger seat at the same time takes Stiles’ place behind the wheel and closes the door, and all this without letting the car to lose its way.  

In other hand, Isaac jumped through the window and landed next to Jackson the backseat following by a hideous stench that made Stiles’ guts churn in disgust.

Stiles looks back where Isaac hurries to open his backpack and starts pulling out rotten fishes heads and starts rubbing them against Jackson, Scott and Stiles himself.

“What?” Scott starts taking a deep breath.

“Hey! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Stiles growls covering his nose with his hand.

“They are here? Aren’t them?” Jackson’s gaging voice says with fear leaping in it.

“Who?” Stiles asks a little dazed by the smell.

“The wolves” Isaac replies drily “They just got in the town”

…….

She peeks through the limit of the roof, she is not thinking in jumping off, she doesn’t want to die she just needed to come here. She is the roof of the building which construction her dad was supervision. Allison scoffs with a sad smile, there was a building after all. Where is her dad? That’s the same question she has been asking herself for months, she even looked in his secret apartment but it remains the same way he left it, it is untouched, just a little dusty and with tons of spider-webs.

A cold draft dishevels her hair and she gasps if she could only get an idea of where he went, why he didn’t take her with him? Who set their house on fire? Was it him? She has been doing a little research in the foster house lately, they gave her a computer so she could use it for her _studying needs_ though most of the time she is trying to find clues and reading news from the near towns, there have been a lot of missing people in the pasts months though also she has been looking for Binders, she has been trying to find a community or something that might give her a clue of where her dad might be.

Three weeks ago looking for Binders she found a link to a parkour video of guys jumping from building to building in the middle of the night in a city which name she can’t recall right now, the interesting thing about the video was that the buildings were many feet away from the human capability and yet they were able to get to the other side, this gave her a clue that maybe she has been digging in the right place so she watched it whole and something startled her, it was true they were Binders, not only because their jumps were beyond any human skill but because of something they said in the video.

 _“While you are in the air picture yourself landing in the other side, not imagine it, see it. Believe in your abilities and yourself”_ He explained to and small one on which the camera was pointing at the moment.

That _believe_ made something shudder inside Allison it made her recall about something she read long ago in the Binding book, that’s why she came here in the first place, to give it a shot, she needs to be ready for when the wolves come and also she needed something linked to her dad so she doesn’t feel so lonely in the world.

She looks down again, she is so high that it is almost impossible to see the ground, a shiver runs down her spine and then she rubs her hands against her arms to fight off the coldness. Now she squints ahead to the other side of the street where the nearest building is and damn! The gap is almost seventy feet wide, she can’t do it, at least not now… if she only had the book with her, but it is gone right? When her house burned it… what if it didn’t? She left it on her bed but the whole house structure fell apart maybe… just maybe….

Allison runs to the door of the roof and starts climbing down the stairs when she gets into the top floor she takes lift down and gets out of the building as fast as she can. Now in the street she is free to run as mad toward her home, it is a little long from there but it doesn’t matter it would help her as training, in another reality where her dad stayed maybe he would have put her to run every day for her training as a hunter so she pictures it as if she is learning to be a Binder a strong one, just like her dad.

She gets in her street with her lungs burning one hour later, she is exhausted and soaking wet but it worth it, the debris of her own are still there surrounded by the police tape like that night, if she closes her eyes she still can see the long orange flames licking the starry night and eating her life along with her home. She shakes that though away and makes a little jog toward the entrance. She doesn’t lose time reliving her life in there, sooner or later the people in the foster house will notice her absence and the least she needs right now is bar in her window.

She comes to the exact place where her room and the drawing room used to be, it is now only a pile of gigantic pieces of fallen walls and shattered ceiling, as if there was an earthquake that only affected their home, it must be an explosion probably the fire met the gas pipes in its way and everything flew through the air. Why is all this still here anyway? Shouldn’t someone have moved it out or something? You can’t just let it there like hey welcome to the town this is what happened to the last people who moved in here.

Allison starts taking pieces and pieces of debris and taking them aside near the place where her bed used to be, if it fell at time maybe the concrete protected the book from burning to ashes. She keeps doing so for half an hour until she gets a glimpse of her mattress, it is dirty and a little wet because of yesterday’s rain but… it is untouched by the flames, Allison’s heart quivers with thrill and she speeds up her duty pushing more and more pieces of fallen concrete away. She finally gets to the top of the bed and with excitement she thrusts her hand beneath and pokes out her crunched pillow, she digs her fingers inside its cover and feel the rackety surface of the book cover, which is… intact! _Great!_ She thinks with excitement, she takes it out and takes a look at it, unfortunately it is too dark for her to read but as soon as she gets in the foster house she will start reading and learning as much as she can from it. She turns on her heels and it’s about to strode off when something… a memory comes to the back of her head, it’s from the night it all happened, she was… kneeling in her bed to… to hide… to hide her dad’s laptop!

Allison jumps on her feet and turns back she starts moving harder more and more pieces of fallen wall until she gets a gleam of an metallic object before her, she kneels and snatches it out, it is her dad’s computer indeed, though it is broken… damn! It worth the shot, at least she know that whoever wants to hurt her dad didn’t find it, because they could have use the information in the hard drive… that’s it! The hard drive! It can give her some clues of what’s going on! If she finds the way to save it maybe she can even find a way to track her dad!

Allison presses the broken laptop and the Binding book against her chest and breaths out happily, for the first time in months hope seems to flutter in her chest and it feels just right, she is happy, she truly is and the sad thing about it is that she almost forget how it felt. She starts her way toward the foster house when something prickles her in her hand… The spark… Stiles? Is he near her? No… he is not, she is actually pretty far away at her right….but… he also is…in danger? She is not sure but she something inside her, anxiety, fear, she also is feeling nauseas though she knows none of those feelings are her… this have happened before, on Halloween when they touched that day and the spark flew she could feel how troubled and hurt he was, it is the same now… she can feel the way he feels right now though they are far away he is in danger… but why? What could be threatening Stiles’ life? The answer comes to her legs before to her mind, she is running now, following the prickling sing in her right hand because the wolves just arrived Beacon Hills.

…….

“You’re hiding our scent” Jackson points out snatching one of the fishes out of Isaac’s hand and rubbing it against his neck.

It seemed like he was eager to hide from the pack.

“They are here” Stiles breaths out feeling how his insides are filled with uneasy and terror, how in the hell are they going to beat one thousand werewolves when they scarcely defeated one, a just born one by the way.

“What are we going to do?” He says thoughtful.

He hears a grunt at his right, he looks at Derek who has his eyes fixed on the road, his shoulder are as tensed as his set jaw “We?” He snorts. “I don’t remember inviting you to this party”

“Ah yeah? Well I don’t remember inviting you into my car and yet here we are, we need to do something they are behind us, aren’t they?” Stills blurs out angrily, they hadn’t seen each other in six months and the were-moron keeps being the same asshole of always.

“This is all your fault!” Derek growls angrily taking the curb.

“Don’t start with shit!” Stiles roars “I have nothing to do with…”

“He is not talking about you Monkey so please calm down, you’re making me nervous” Isaac murmurs.

Wasn’t he talking about him?

Stiles looks again at Derek embarrassed but the werewolf just ignores him and keeps driving.

“It was you two” Isaac says accusingly.

“What? Us? Why?” Scott says shocked, Stiles doesn’t need to look at his friend to know how embarrassed he must feel right now.

“The Fenrir’s pack just got in town attracted by the sound of you stupid kids playing in the forest” Isaac explains irate, this is the first time Stiles sees him this way. “Whose was the idea of take down those trees?” Demands.

Through the corner of his eyes Stiles can see Scott looking back to exchange glances with Jackson “It was his!” Both accused at unison.

“Brilliant” Derek says annoyed.

“Wow you learned sarcasm” Stiles snorts and before he gets the chance to even breath Derek’s long and calloused hand grabs him by the neck slowly pressing Stiles’ throat tight, choking him.

“What did you say?” The big bad wolf dares him with his icy blue eyes fixed on Stiles’ pale face.

The boy looks away afraid of the piercing glare of the werewolf, they are about to take the curb when he spots the tiny figure of a child in the middle of the road.

“Look out!” He manages to spurt out with a croaking voice.

Derek quickly releases him and spins the wheel toward the other side.

“What happened?” Scott asks startled.

“A kid! I just saw a boy in the middle of the road!” Stiles says hauling air in his lungs.

Derek retook the road.

“We need to get back!” Stiles urges Derek “If they are after us they are going to kill that boy”

“You’re hallucinating, what is going to do a kid in the forest at this hour?” Isaac chuckles.

“If they are out there, we are done” Jackson affirms, “They are going to kill us, aren’t they?”

“Maybe” A voice suddenly says next to Scott, all of them look at the large shape running next to the jeep with glowing red eyes and a wicked grin with pointy fangs on a freckled face.

“Damn it!” Derek roars speeding up the car.

Stiles tilts his head to see if they lost the red-eyed werewolf but instead of watching him shrinking in the road they leave behind he sees the gleaming of dozens and dozens of beady eyes coming after them at high speed.

“Derek we need to go faster” Scott says hastily.

“I know” The pack leader says moody. “It isn’t my fault we’re stuck in this shitty jeep”

“Hey! Don’t talk to him like that! It was my parent’s car!” Stiles reproaches.

“Guys calm down! We will tear out each other’s throats if he survive this… for now just keep driving Derek” Jackson says with uneasiness.

“Jackson” Derek starts with a steady voice. “If you try to shut me again and I will drop the steering wheel and I´ll rip out your head with my own hands”

“Derek!” Stiles yells.

“What now?” The werewolf roars to him.

“The lake!” Scott finishes for Stiles.

“Everybody jump!” Isaac says hurrying Scott to come out.

“No! My jeep!” Cries Stiles getting into the driver’s seat after Derek jumps out to try to save it before it falls in the lake.

“Stiles what are you doing?” Stiles hears Scott’s voice from behind the jeep, he looks through the rear view and sees how the group of werewolves quickly approach him.

“No my jeep” Stiles yells trying to take the control his car.

“Stiles!” He hears Scott’s voice again.

Stiles turns back to the windshield watching how the lake menacing surface enlarges quickly until he is almost on his surface, Stiles squeezes his eyes shut and puts his arms before his head to protect his face while he awaits for the Jeep to start sinking in the water.

“Are you insane? You almost die because of that piece of shit” Derek growls angrily pulling Stiles from his arm and shoving behind him.

“It is all your fault!” Stiles yells at his back. “How I’m gonna drive school tomorrow now!”

“It was a piece of crap” Derek defends himself.

“That’s supposed to be your idea of an excuse?” The skinny boy shriek “It was my parent’s car!”

“Shut up!” Derek mutters steeping back and putting a hand on Stiles chests while both of them scoot and peek through the dark forest.

Everything went silent suddenly, Stiles can’t see or hear anything all he can feel is Derek’s protective hand still on his chest and the disgusting reek of rotten fish that both of them let off, it was a good plan if it wasn’t because the werewolves will now just follow the stench to find them.

There is a growl.

“We are surrounded” Stiles says counting seven pair of eyes staring at them from all directions.

“Say something we don’t know” Derek muttered with sarcasm.

“What are we going to do?” Scott whispers suddenly next to Stiles almost making him startle.

Suddenly the eyes lumber from the shadows toward them and again there is a loud and shivering crack that makes Still jump on his feet.

“Run” Orders Derek as the flying tree comes toward them and the monsters spread to avoid it.

“Take that suckers!” Jackson shouts chuckling.

Stiles follows Scott and Derek’s shape as they start running but quickly he feels a pang on his chest, it’s been a while since the last time he ran for his life or someone else’s he is out of shape and he won’t make it. “I can´t do the four legs wolf thing” He says at their back.

Scott tilts his head toward him.

“Hurry up or we are all dead” Isaac says appearing next to Scott.

Scott comes back to Stiles and gets him over his back as they continue their way out.

“We need to spread once we get into the town” Explains Derek. “Burn your clothes, change your shampoo brand I don’t care you need to hide your smell”

“It would be safer if we meet at public places from now on” Isaac adds.

“Let’s go, and no matter what… Stay alive” Derek says and they continue with their scape.

…….

His head is resting over his palm on his desk, he can’t keep his eyes open. He is so tired. With a big effort Sheriff Stilinski stands up and opens the door. It have been a quite night, despite the kid that puked over him there aren’t much emergencies tonight he is not sure if he should feel happy about it, he just wants something to keep him away until his shift is done. He starts pacing through the empty hallways to warm up his body a little, the air conditioner is at its full and he his chilling there. Maybe a coffee would help though he isn’t a fan of caffeine he can’t just drift away on his desk.

As he walks toward the bending machine in the reception area Melissa comes to his mind, she has been acting weird lately, she has grown silent and lonely, he knows that what happened last December was all a misunderstanding and she wasn’t at high risk but he can’t help feeling that something happened that night that…

“Help!” A voice screeches not far away.

Dr. Stilinski’s heart leapt on his chest, what was it? He takes out his hands from his spare coat’s pockets and starts running.

In the next hallway he finds a group of people running off the reception area, they all have frightened faces as if they are fleeing from something. His senses come alert and he looks around as he runs.

“Help me please!” The voice begs again in a hurtful tune.

He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand as he storms into the reception pushing in the double doors.

“Help! Help!” Moans a young man standing in the middle of the room, he is surrounded by a par of nurses and Dr. Hugo all of them with their arms all stretched as they if they are waiting to catch the boy.

The man seems to have twenty five years old or maybe less, he is tall and well-built, from where Simon is standing he can see his soaked face, drips of sweat running down his temple and cheeks almost as if his skin is melting down, his eyes are bloodshot and diverted, his close are damp with dark blood that comes from his arms and his left side.

“What is going on?” Simon asks as the nearest nurse who has a frightened expression on her face.

“We’re not sure he just burst in and keeps asking for help but he doesn’t want us to touch him”

“Was stabbed?” He asks taking a closer look to the rush of blood that is starting to drip on the floor.

“He seems like he is about to get under shock” The nurse who’s name Dr. Stilinski can’t remember right now says breathless.

“Help me” The man begs once more and now Simon can see yellow tears climbing down from his dark eyes.

“Sir” Simon says approaching slowly. “I know you need help but we need you to calm down and tell us what happened”

“I don’t know!” Says the man desperate looking in all directions probably hurting his neck in the process “I need help… I need help” He cries over and over.

Simon reaches his closer and then the man swims his arm to the side letting out a moan and openmouthed Dr. Stilinski watches how the limb stretches longer than a normal human body could do, a massive bulge suddenly jumps on the man’s chests and he let out a high pitched cry of terror.

“What is this?” The nurse at Simon’s back says startled.

He recoils to the sight of that horrible scene, shakes his head and tries to reach the man once again feeling how his heart rate increases with every step, what is wrong with his poor boy?

“HELP!”

The bulge in his chest disappears, now it comes to his back and starts beating like a heart, then it shudders frantically and coming up and down and appearing in new places it is almost as if there is a scaring bloodthirsty creature inside his body trying to break free.

“HELP ME PLEASE HELP ME!” The man screeches one last time, his voice reaching a piercing and almost unnatural tune as Simon almost feels the ground moving at his feet, he falls on the floor and then there is a disturbing moan and the odd sound of something clammy and stick being churned, Simon looks up, the boy is staring right at him with his big bloodshot eyes as his skin bumps up and down agitatedly and then he explodes… like a bomb… covering everything with brown and stick blood.


	17. DEAD MAN

XVII

DEAD MAN

 

Stiles stares at his plate, the scrambled eggs clumsily made and the loaf of bread. He doesn’t dare to look up, this is the first time he sees his dad this mad.

“I’m talking to you” Simon Stilinski roars jerking Stiles’ headphones from his ears.

Stiles sighs _Shit_ he thinks with frustration.

“What the hell were you thinking?” His dad slams his hand in the table.

“I….” Damn he can’t find a lie… he is just…

“I what Stiles?”

Stiles looks through the kitchen’s window, if he only could tell his dad about the danger they are, if he could tell him that he might die because of his own son, if he could tell him that he is cursed that he must run away from him and not look back. He loves his dad he wants to save but he doesn’t have answers and he fears his own dead even though it would settle things down, well, maybe in the past they would have made the difference, the Fenrir is in the town now, he feels like there is nothing he can do anymore even if he lives or die it won’t change the fact that everyone in the town would probably die in matter of days maybe weeks if they are lucky.

“I just heard something… a noise coming from the woods”

“So you heard something coming from the woods?” Doctor Stilinski stares at his son as if he might be febrile.

Stiles nods.

“Do you know that the woods are miles away, don’t you?”

_Crap._

“I mean… I might have overheard a police’ radio transmission”

“Yeah? How?”

“Um… in my laptop?”

“Are you spying the police? What is wrong with you? Anyway that’s not an excuse to go to the woods in the middle of the night”

“I know dad… I was just… I felt”

“I don’t wanna hear it” His dad replies taking a deep breath, his eyes swollen and full of disappointment.

“It was a mistake ok? I wasn’t thinking straight”

“That’s the problem… this is happening more and more often, you keep disobeying me, doing reckless things, putting yourself in danger why? Why are you doing this to me?” His voice cracks in the last sentence.

Stiles recoils fighting a few tears back, a lump climbs to his throat and is now gagging him, he doesn’t want to hurt his dad, he just thought he needed to find what was going on in the woods, but now that he thinks about it, maybe his dad is right, maybe he is putting himself in danger on porpoise.

“I can’t live this way”

“I’m sorry” Stiles manages to say.

“I can’t trust you” His dad replies with remorse in his voice.

“I’m really sorry dad”

“Maybe I should call Dr. Fintshood”

“No!” Stiles urges to reply… he is not crazy!

“What else do you want me to do then? Tell me how I can help you! For god sake! I have to pay a bill for contaminating the lake, the car is a wreck, and do you know how much I loved to jeep? How your mom…”

“I’m sorry ok?” A tear runs down his cheek. “I won’t do it again” Adds in half a sob.

“You almost died son… how can I explain you that if something happens to you, I’m lost? If something happens to you…I…I.”

Shit now his dad is sobbing, his face is so red now his veins are popping up all around his temples, his hands are shaking and Stiles… Stiles feels like shit, he needs to do something, he can’t stay arms crossed while the Fenrir and his pack takes the town, he has to trust in Derek and whatever his plans are but… he also needs to do something by himself, he can’t just die… he must fight maybe he can make things different of how they are supposed to happen.

“You’re okay, you’re fine” His dad says suddenly and now his arms are surrounding Stiles’ head pressing him tight against his father’s belly, he can’t fight it anymore, he just lets the tears flow savagely all over his face, he feels so powerless.

“I’m fine… I won’t go anywhere”

“You won’t” His dad confirms with a steadier voice now. “I won’t repair the Jeep, so now you can’t do your night trips in the woods”

“What?” Stiles says shocked, no his Jeep! He needs his Jeep! “Dad…”

“I won’t discuss this… it was your responsibility, I told you that the day I gave you the keys, but it seems that you forgot about it…If you want it back you pay to get it fixed”

“But dad! It was an accident! How am I supposed to go to school now?”

His dad arched a brow as stared at him and almost mockingly “Take the bus”

“What? No!”

“Then walk school” His dad finished sternly patting his back. “I have to go now, you better don’t anything stupid from now on, or I’ll send you to boarding school” Threatened.

Stiles parts his lips to reply but his dad is faster.

“I mean it Stiles, stay out of trouble”

Stiles nods and loosely wriggles the scrambled eggs with his fork.

Doctor Stilinski goes to the washer machine and takes a clean coat, pats his son’s head and leaves the kitchen.

Stiles curses in his insides while takes a sip of his chocolate milk, finishes his breakfast and goes up to take his red hoodie and his backpack. He needs a job, god! He wishes he had time for a job, he really needs his jeep, but let’s face it, it won’t happen anytime soon. He addresses the front door and takes a deep breath, it sucks to take the bus but he can’t do anything about it at least not for now.

He opens the door and the bitter cold air makes him shiver, it is almost summer, it should be warmer by now! Does this have anything to do with the Fenrir? He closes the door and turns on his heels, in front of him is a car with glossy black paint and low tires, what is it doing there? Stiles looks around, the street is empty. He starts walking out of his home feeling a weird uneasiness in the pit of his stomach, he feels observed. When he reaches the street walk suddenly the car’s engine comes to life. Stiles spins and the copilot’s window sinks down.

“Get up” Says a voice.

Stiles lowers his head frowning and finds Derek in the pilot’s seat staring at him with a furrowed expression.

“Derek” He says suspiciously. “What are you doing here?”

“Get up and shut up” The werewolf orders.

Stiles opens the door and wedges himself inside. “What are you doing outside my house?” He asks scornful.

“I ruined that piece of trash of yours, didn’t I?” Derek says without looking at him.

“Oh… shit… are you saying that you’re going to give me your car in exchange?” Stiles heart leapt with excitement, Jesus! He was going to have a fucking Camaro!

Derek frowned “No!” Says bluntly “I’m taking you to school, that’s all”

“Oh” Stiles rolls his eyes. “You don’t even need a car, you’re a werewolf and sure you run faster than this thing”

“You right I do” Derek agrees “But I won’t give it to you” Adds chuckling devilishly, his pointy fangs showing beneath his slender lips.

_Bastard._

Derek puts his hands on the steering wheel and starts driving away, Stiles sinks in the seat and stares at the road absently, he is a little shocked, who would have thought that Mr. Broody ass would try to emend the side effects of his actions?, well that’s not fair half of the things that are going on are because Derek thinks he did an awful thing when he was just a kid and he’s trying to doing it right before giving his life to release Scott from his curse.

“What happened to you?” Derek asks with his eyes fixed on the road with his usual stark face.

“What you mean?” Stiles replies confused, what is he talking about?

“You have been crying” Derek points out and arches a brow.

Stiles panics and stares at his expression in the rearview mirror, there is no trace of tears on his eyes or his cheeks, he washed his face several times after cleaning the dishes.

“I hadn’t…” He starts.

“Your scent” Derek says and glares at him like saying _I know you’re lying_

“What about my scent?”

“It changes with your mood, today is salty darker than usual”

 _Salty and darker than usual_ Stiles repeats in his head chewing his lip, he wishes he could do something about it, Isaac told him once his scent is chaos, is happy and sad at the same time because of his curse, but today… well Stiles has a lot in mind today.

“You’re afraid, don’t you?”

Stiles shakes his head so hard that he almost breaks his neck, he isn’t a coward! “Today is a year and a month since my mom died” He mutters glancing down, damn it! He shouldn’t have said that! Derek will probably mock of him or something.

“Oh, I’m sorry” Derek mutters.

Stiles stares at him shocked.

“I lost my mom too…actually…I… killed her” The pack leader mumbles and looks away.

 _No you didn’t!_ Stiles wishes he could say Derek the truth, but there is so much at stake, he can’t help feel empathy for that moody bastard though. The only thing he can do is glance down, and try to chance the subject.

“What is the plan then?”

“That’s none of your business” Derek says harshly and Stiles glares at him.

“If you hadn’t notice I live here too and I got people to protect!” Stiles grunts biting his tongue and cursing inside, god! Why he has to be so stubborn? Why can’t he realize that he needs all the help he can get?

“I don’t care, you won’t do any help you will just get in our way and Scott needs to be ready to fight for his life, will just distract him, he will care more of your life than his own ” Derek growls and stops the car.

Stiles looks around, they are in the parking lot of the school, great! He was about to throw himself from the window anyway, he couldn’t believe how stupid Derek was, he would rather die than accept help from him just because he was human.

Stiles opens the door “Thank you” He says bitterly and climbs down but Derek grabs him by the arm and pulls him back in, Damn is hand is burning, Stiles almost forgets that Werewolves are that hot. “What do you want?”

Derek shoves his hands on his pockets and tugs a piece of paper with and address hastily written on it. Stiles takes it and reads it “A Hotel?” He snorts “Shouldn’t we have a date first?”

Derek glares at him “I’m living there, the forest aren’t safe anymore, give it to Scott”

Stiles nods with boredom.

“Tell him to meet me there after school, we need to discuss our plan”

“Hello! Twenty one century! There are phones you know?” Stiles mocks.

“You idiot, they are probably spying everybody’s calls by now”

Stiles holds his breath startled “Really? I thought werewolves…”

“You don’t know anything about werewolves”

“I’m sorry” The boy sighs and climbs down.

“Stiles wait” Derek says at his back.

Stiles chest shudders and he stops short but he doesn’t turn, he stays there back at the wolf a little startled. How weird is to hear Derek say his name and not call him you or hey.

“Do something about your scent, and tell Allison to do so too”

“Allison doesn’t talk to me anymore”

“Just tell her, don’t make new friends and don’t go anywhere by yourself, avoid to stay alone they won’t risk to attack in crowded places”

“I can’t pee if there someone around” Stiles explains uneasy and turns on his heels to find that Derek and his car are gone.

…….

Allison finishes her breakfast and climbs up the stairs to grab her backpack, it is odd to think that she almost gets used to live in the foster house. But things might change now. She reaches her bed and takes the backpack and the books sprawled over it, she looks back to make sure no one is spying on her and quickly snatches the broken laptop and the binding book from below the pillow, she can trust to leave them there, if someone finds them… well she doesn’t want to think about it.

She goes down and meets the rest of the girls at the door right when the bus is stopping to get them to school. Last night she almost got in the woods looking for wolves but luckily she thought better going in there by herself unarmed would have been suicidal, she didn’t do much research last night either, when she got to the foster house tried to fix her dad’s laptop but it was useless, she doesn’t know anything about computers…though… she knows someone that might. Today she will focus on recovering her dad’s information from that piece of junk and maybe she can read about the binding book…. She needs it, she might not have weapons now but there are some other things she can learn, she needs to be a quick learner if those werewolves are really in the town as she felt it last night it means that they are all in danger. Sometimes just feels like leaving, getting all her stuffs and get away, there is nothing left for her in Beacon Hills just bad memories but she fears that if her dad is truly alive and comes back for her he won’t be able to find her. She needs to find him first them they can both run away and never come back.

There is a sort of discomfort bugging her from the very moment she stepped in the classroom just an hour ago. She has been trying to ignore it but it is complicated, it isn’t just as if someone is staring at her. She knows that someone is staring and by the insane prickling in her hand she knows that that someone is Stiles, but she can take it. What the hell does he want? Why he is so utterly determined to talk to her? Well, she can’t blame him, she is dying to interrogate him about what happened last night in the woods but there is a little problem… she doesn’t trust him.  

At lunch she goes to the cafeteria and puts a single apple in her tray then she sits in her usual table with Lydia and sighs, it is unbelievable that after all those months she still has to stand the curious eyes of the rest of the school, drilling her thoughts and gossiping about what happened to her dad, half of the school believes that her dad set the house on fire and died in it because she was pregnant and that Scott was the father of her child and the other half says that she set her house on fire to kill her dad.

She should have known that today was going to be different than other days, yet she wasn’t expecting Scott to leave the jock’s table for the first time and join them in theirs. Allison rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath, feeling his amber piercing eyes addressing her looking for hers, but she doesn’t dare to glance back at him, damn his ears he is probably listening to her heartbeat and how it rate rose as soon as he took seat before her.

“Well, well” Lydia starts pouting her lips. “Mr. Jock himself decided to suddenly comes to our table”

Scott grins sheepishly to her and Allison suddenly feels the need to smack him in the head.

“What are you doing here? “Lydia demands with contempt.

Scott bits his lip and stare at Allison’s friend with puzzled look. “I came to talk to Allison”

“Oh yeah? That’s funny cuz the last I checked you were ignoring her like the rest of the…”

“Lydia…” Allison starts but Lydia rises her hand and doesn’t let her finish.

“No Allison I must say this… Her dad got missing! Her home exploded! Where were you Scott? Where were you when she needed you most?

Allison feels Lydia’s words as a knife through her chest, she knows where Scott was. He was trying to hide her, to protect her from the horrors of…

She shakes those stupid and girly thoughts out of her head.

“Hey guys!” Says a newcomer.

 _Great_ Allison thinks biting her lip and scratching her prickling hand.

“Now you?” Lydia laughs bitterly.

“I need to talk to Allison” Stiles explains shrugging and Allison looks away.

“You got nothing to talk to her, you failed as friends and… everything else” Lydia points out.

“Lydia is alright, I’ll talk to Stiles” Allison says trying to calm down the waters and keep away the nosey looks of the rest of the school from their conversation. She needs to know what the hell Stiles wants or else the spark won’t leave her alone in the whole day.

Lydia is about to reply but Allison stands before her friend can say anything else and beckons Stiles to follow her out of the cafeteria. Right outside the double doors Stiles grabs her by the arm and presses her tight, the spark burst and suddenly she fears utterly sad and concerned, damn him and his feelings.

“We can’t go any further” He warms blinking probably fighting the overwhelming of her feelings in his mind.

“Why not?”

“It is dangerous” He mutters looking at both sides of the empty hall. “They are here”

“I know” She snaps back harshly.

“You were there in the woods too last night by yourself? Are you crazy?” He grunts.

She rolls her eyes “That’s none of your business what I do and what I don’t and I wasn’t there I… felt it”

Stiles gaps, he knows what she is talking about thought instead of staring at his right hand he grabs his chest as if feels exposed.

“Derek says we need to hide our scent” He mumbles.

And as soon as she hears the name the blood in her veins starts running cold “I don’t follow orders from him”

“Allison please…”

“Don’t treat me like a child Stiles, you lied to me”

“You lied to me too” He shoots back.

And there they are again.

“I didn’t lie, I didn’t know what the hell was going on with me, what did you want me to do? Run and tell you hey I’m a binder though I don’t even know what the hell it is?”

“The same happened to me” He defends himself “I didn’t even know till that night, you have to trust me”

“You knew about the wolves though”

He looks away.

“See? That’s why I won’t follow orders from you or that guy”

“Allison is for own good, our scent is too strong we need to hide it, he is just trying to help you and I do too”

“You wanna help? Fin my dad! Or better tell me why you said that about my mom that night!”

Stiles steps back looking away again.

“I… can’t I promise I’ll tell you but I can’t do that now is too risky”

“Why is it risky Stiles?” She roars.

He shush her and she suddenly feels the need to kick his ass, he can’t tell her because he is a liar, he is trying to buy for Derek. He is on his side. She can feel it through their connection, he is hiding shit, a lot of shit from her and she can feel it too, his fear… for some reason he feels sorry for her and at the same time doesn’t want to be near her, he is a bastard.

“Tell me!” She demands.

“I’m sorry I can’t do that right now”

“See? That’s why I can’t trust you” She snaps.

“All…”

“Leave me alone Stiles” She replies bitterly and crosses the double doors right when the bell rings.

Allison sighs with frustration she didn’t even have chance to taste her apple and now… now they have Mrs. Greenberg class and everything else. She takes gets in the classroom and sits next to Lydia feeling Stiles’ and Scott’s eyes bored on her, why they have to be so stubborn? She takes a deep breath and tries to keep her mind calm. It is true Stiles has a point, she needs to be in low profile now that the wolves have arrived, so far as she had read from the binding book she have learned that wolves and binders aren’t friends, actually binders aren’t friends with most of the supernatural creatures out there so she better stays out of their radar for now, or at least until she finds her dad.

They wait for twenty minutes for Mrs. Greenberg to arrive meanwhile she chats with Lydia about some skirts the girl saw in the mall two days ago and she wishes Allison can join her in there to try some, also she asked her a couple of minutes ago about what Stiles wanted and Allison had to lie, of course, she can’t Lydia anything about what’s going on so she just told her that Stiles wanted to apologize for ignoring her the last months but now he feels sorry for what he did. Lydia just rolled her eyes after that, Allison knows how much she misses Jackson and she can’t help but feeling miserable for she did to her friend, she got a prove of true love that night months ago when Jackson held her hand tight and said how much he loved her when they both thought they were going to die. Allison had to wipe that memory from her friends’ mind, Stiles and herself agreed to keep Lydia out of the supernatural crap that haunts them.

She feels happy for Lydia though, after what happened with Tackler and the lies she said so Lydia wouldn’t remember what Jackson had said to her she is a new person. When Allison and Lydia first met she realized that her best friend had an issue about boys, she constantly needed a guy flattering her o kissing her feet, they called her the bitchleader after all, later they mocked of her because Jackson dump her and now they just feel sorry because her last boyfriend died on strange circumstances, but Lydia doesn’t need a boyfriend when once in a time she spies the jocks’ table with the corner of her eye looking for Jackson she seems to understand now that happiness doesn’t lay next to a man, unless that man is your father… and that… is the reason why Allison feels so miserable. She can let go Scott, he is just a boy she still feels her stomach tickling whenever he is around she doesn’t care about him anymore or at least she tries to… but her dad? Well that is a different story. She craves for his stare, for his food, for his yells, for his jests, for his love and his company.

After what feels like thirty minutes, she looks around and then realizes that their teacher haven’t made it to the class, right when she stands and sweeps the loud room with her eyes someone steps back to her and she quickly seats back, but it isn’t Mrs. Greenberg, but Harris.

“Hello everybody” He says with friendly voice, though his eyes aren’t kind at all.

“What’s Mrs. Greenberg” Asks a voice from the back of the room.

Harris frowns as if he is considering to answer the question or not.

“Mrs. Greenberg doesn’t feel well and called to cancel her classes” He explains sternly “And since you’re my last class of the day I decided to take her hour and be done with it so we can go home early”

Go home early? Allison doesn’t have a home, she has a shelter, thought in other hand now that she will have spare time maybe…. Maybe she can do something about her dad’s laptop and see if she can find any clue that can lead her to him.

…….

The sun hits him in the eyes when he comes out of the school, he gave Scott the piece of paper Derek gave him right after Harris’ class and though he wants to join them in the hotel to hear about the plan he isn’t in the mood to hear sparky tell him he shouldn’t be there, the truth is that he shouldn’t be anywhere, his time passed almost seventeen years ago and now he is living in a borrowed time.

Most of people at school has cars, it is part of being a spoiled teenager near the senior year. Stiles had a car now it is just a drenched piece of junk. He knows what Derek said about not staying alone and everything else but actually that is exactly what he needs. While he walks like the utter loner he is toward the bus stop near school he can’t stop thinking about last night. There are certain things that still bugs him. Those weren’t a thousand werewolves, actually they were ten or fifteen wolves at much. Then… where is the rest of them? Are they slaughtering the surrounding towns? Getting more and more people into their army? It is scaring to think about it, he is not sure how in the hell they are going to defeat a thousand werewolves he doesn’t want to imagine a larger number.

A car horns loudly and Stiles comes to his senses, he is in the middle of the street staring at the roofs of the buildings. He makes a sign to the car and waddles to the street walk. He sits in the bus stop’s bench and looks around. The city is calm, it is just another day in Beacon Hills, people walks down the streets, many shopping groceries, there are girls laughing outside the coffee store, there are mothers carrying their children and peeking through the store’s windows and it is a sunny day even though it is a little chiller for the season. They don’t know, they don’t have a clue that soon they skies will become cloudy and a war will sweep the town.

 _A storm is coming_ he recalls Isaac’s voice saying those words in his head.

He glances ahead while he waits for the bus and then he stops a flower shop, some girls are smelling the tulips with dreamy faces. His dream comes to his mind, the flowers, the butterflies…the blood.

Stiles shakes his head and crosses the street. The graveyard is near him and he hadn’t go to visit his mom since his dad moved her body from Connecticut months ago. Now she rests in Beacon Hills, the town where she was born, just like she would have wanted to.

 _She would have wanted to live_ He thinks with grief and stops in the flower shop. He buys some white roses –his mom favorites- and strides off. The graveyard is empty, is a large space at the west of the city established right in one of the hillsides that connects the town with the woods. It is partially empty and surrounded by undergrowth and newborn pines. Stiles comes in passing by the graves without reading the names on them. His mom is near the end with her parents and her brother at her right, at her left is an empty place waiting for him. How long will it be until he ends up in here? Hours? Days? Months? Something is certain, it won’t be long.

“Hey mom” He says pretending to be cheerful to not concern her.

He takes the flowers and gently places them in the top of the grave.

“I’m sorry I didn’t came before” Mutters picturing now his mom scowling at him.

He smiles.

“I’m just coming through a lot lately, school is fine by the way. My grades are still high, my dad is doing better every day though we got an arguing this morning about coming out of home in the middle of the night in a school day”

He makes a pause to think what she would have said about it, if his mom were alive she would be chastising him right now.

“Yeah I know… I just…” His voice cracks. “Everything is wrong mom, I don’t have friends anymore and feel lonely and just spend the days at home reading and waiting… waiting for everything to be done, but…I’m scared and I feel so useless, something awful is about to happen and I can’t do anything about it. Everyone is going to die mom, everyone will die and it is my fault, the same way it is my fault what happened to you”

Stiles shuts his eyes feeling the warm tears running down his cheeks for the second time today and recalls Derek’s words, about his scent, about his mood. He is cursed the same way Derek thinks he is, with the difference that his curse is real, evil people murdered Derek’s parents, Stiles killed his mom and will probably kill the whole town and he can’t do anything about it, it is a dark thought a thing that has been piercing his soul for months since Deaton told him the truth, he is responsible for that is happening and he doesn’t know how to make it stop, he should have died. He should have died that day instead of being born, that way his would have been alive and none of this would be happening.

He clears his throat “um… do you remember….” He starts and then the memories of his childhood start coming to his mind. His mom can’t protect him now or tell him what to do, but at least she can listen to him the same way she used to and let everything out can’t fix the things but helps to make him feel better.

…….

He has been waiting the whole day but finally Scott, Isaac and Jackson are here. They are in the lobby of the hotel sitting comfortably in the cushions and pretending to be having a good time as the good friends they are. It is annoying, because the place is crowded and they most talk in low voices to not let someone hear their conversation, but it is the only they can communicate now, it is dangerous to go out there, the Fenrir and his slaves must be spying everybody’s phone calls for sure, they have taken the woods.

“This is not a good idea” Jackson says sternly, he has his arm crossed and won’t stop looking around every two seconds.

“I told you to stay calm, they won’t come here looking for us” Derek replies in a mutter.

“Why don’t we just go to your room?” Scott arches a brow.

“Most of this places have safety cameras, for now they have the control of everything in the town for sure, we are safer him among the humans”

“Derek… we have lacrosse practice” Isaac reminds him.

“Don’t be stupid, you can’t keep playing to be teenagers, we are all in danger”

“Then what is the plan?” Jackson asks still looking around. “Should we bring you some team players?”

 _Team players?_ Derek repeats in his mind not getting his point. “What do you mean?”

“We need more wolves on our side” Isaac reminds him.

Derek can feel his insides scorching raw, not this again “No more wolves” He replies with clenched teeth.

“What?” Isaac says a little loud.

Derek quickly grins pretending they are joking about something to not rise suspects and then glares at the traitor.

“We still can’t turn anyone else, it is too risky you saw what happened with Scott in the beginning and Jackson had it rough too” He reminds him.

“So what? Are we staying arms crossed waiting for them to kill us?” Isaac spits despitefully.

“If you are so afraid of dying then you should have gone with your friends when you got a chance” He shoots back with his jaw set.

Isaac looks away angrily.

He can’t trust in Isaac, not after what he did… what should he do? Don’t they get it? He is as concerned as they are, but if they start turning random people into wolves they could end murdering everybody instead of protecting them, they must be careful…something…something is just not right.

“What do we do then?” Jackson asks irate.

All wolves think they are leaders, stupid reckless kids, as soon as he dies on Scott’s hands Isaac and Jackson will tear each other’s throats to become the new alpha, the leader of a broken and doomed pack.

“We wait” He explains.

Isaac and Jackson stare at him suspiciously. He knows what they are thinking, they think that something is going on with him, that maybe he is going to betray them.

“We wait to die, you mean” Jackson chuckles.

“No… we wait and we stay under their radar, hide your scents, don’t use your phones to talk about anything relate to them or us, keep your senses alert and stay with your families and friends”

He looks at Scott’s confused expression “Protect them” He finishes.

“Good plan, but I don’t know if you remember but… I have no family because of them” Isaac points out.

Derek can see it, he is growing impatience, something changed about him since December, what could it be? For a second he reminds him of Stiles, acting reckless and putting himself in trouble without measuring the risks he is putting himself into.

“I can’t wait for them to just kill me”

“You don’t get it do you?” Scott suddenly says and now Derek can see some flicker behind his eyes, recognition. He knows what is going on.

“Something is not right” The boy explains in low voice “We can’t just turn werewolves or go to find them, something is going on here”

 _He is not just strong, he is smart_ Derek thinks impressed and a little proud.

“What do you mean?” Jackson inquires.

“Last night, they could have killed us and take Derek… but they let us be”

Isaac and Jackson crane their necks toward Derek now and he just can nod to them, and lets Scott continue his speech while he looks around and makes sure no one is listening their talk.

“They want Derek, they want his power” The young wolf makes a pause “Or at least that is what we thought”

“Something changed” Derek agrees. “Last night, they could have taken me… but they let us go”

“They just wanted to scare us” Scott agrees with him.

“Why?” Isaac frowns.

“That’s what we are going to find out tonight” Derek explains. “Isaac you and I are going to the woods tonight and look for them, if they want me they won’t miss the change to catch me”

“Are you going to let them catch you that easily?” Scott is confused now.

“If they are interested in me after all, they will catch me eventually I’ll just ease the things a little for us” Derek says with a grim face.

“That’s all?” Isaac says. “We just give up?”

Derek shakes his head “Once in there, I’ll defy the Fenrir, it is my right as a pack member and if I beat him, the rest of the pack will lose what links them together, they won’t a porpoise and I’ll send everybody home”

“When you became so optimistic?” Isaac snorts. “You can’t beat him”

“Maybe I can” Derek asks a brow daringly.

“What about us?” Jackson asks eagerly.

“You both go your homes and stay with your families, if everything goes wrong take your parents and your friends and go”

He looks at Scott, he knows he doesn’t like the idea.

“But what if…” Scott starts.

Derek rises his hand to shut him.

“It was never your fight, I shouldn’t have involved you in this and I’m sorry, we have no chance against them and I won’t send you to a slaughter, live your lives, grow up get kids and everything else”

Derek stands and shows them the way out, it is the only way, he can’t let them die because of him, the best thing Scott can do is Take his mom and Stiles and go away before it is too late, Isaac is right it is almost certain that Derek doesn’t stand a chance against a Fenrir, but he will fight and he will win there is no other way, this will end here and tonight.

…….

She went to a computer store and bought some tools to try to fix her dad’s laptop. It is true Lydia is super smart and everything else, and even thought it sounded like a good idea at first now Alisson knows better, after what Stiles said to her she can’t stop thinking about what happened her friend during the Sadie Hawking’s night, the prettiest girl in town with her beautiful dress and hopes and dreams almost taken away from her just the same way her boyfriend was, no… it is too much. Allison, Stiles and Jackson agreed to stay away from Lydia to keep her safe and even though they are still being friends and acting like normal girls it is different to involve Lydia in that crazy shit she is into, she knows a bit about computers though, she can fix it, she just needs to extract her dad’s hard disk and connect it to the desktop computer in the foster house, rummage as much as she can and hope to find a clue about where her dad might be, if he is still alive.

On her way to the foster house she stops again outside the debris of her old home, and the memories come again, that gigantic flames licking everything, she is not sure how the laptop survived thought she thinks it has something to do with the binding book being almost on top of it, it is untouched too and she can’t help thinking that there is some kind of protecting casted on it, or else the weather would have damaged it.

Allison stares a chunks all over the floor still thinking why the city hadn’t move them yet. If she could only find her dad’s weapons…

“Hey” Says a voice at her back.

Allison spins as quick as she hears the voice and something squirms inside her when her eyes’ and Scott’s ambers met.

“Sc…Scott... What are you doing here?” She says startled.

“I needed to talk to you” He says lowering his glance to not look at her straight in the eye.

“You have been following?” She stutters feeling suddenly harassed.

Scott shakes his head “Actually…” He takes a minute to thinks his reply and a kicks a rock with the tip of his sneakers “I followed your scent”

Allison steps back, feeling her heart slamming her ribs, it is stupid. She knows that Scott is a werewolf, yet this is the first time they talk about it and somehow it feels like he is confirming her worst fears. She can’t go back now. It’s too late.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to upset you” He says with his eyes fixed on the floor.

Why is he talking so weird?

“I have nothing to talk to you” She replies bitterly and tries to pass by him to go back to the foster house but he grabs her by the arm and something shudders in her chest.

Scott leans toward her and slowly sucks a breath “Your scent…” He mutters delighted and yet she can see an edge of terror in his voice.

He shakes his head again “I’m sorry… I just missed it”

 _Freak_ she things disgusted, even when he is a werewolf he still acts like the dump boy she once thought she knew.

“You’re a monster” She breaths out accusingly.

He nods without daring to look at her in the eye.

“I won’t take long” He promises.

“Then talk” She orders, let go her arm brusquely.

“You need to go” He mumbles.

Allison holds a wry mock _is this for real?_

“I’m not going anywhere, I’m gonna find my dad and them I’m gonna hunt the monster that murdered my mom”

Scott looks at her confused.

“Allison please, there are dangerous creatures in the town!” He says looking around as if he is making sure that they are not being observed.

“What? Werewolves?” She spits with despise.

He nods with his cheeks reddening.

“I don’t care”

He shifts in his place as if trying to find patience “You don’t get Allison they are going to kill you if you don’t go… your scent… you smell…”

“What about my scent?” She asks genuinely curious, Stiles something about their scent too and… now Scott.

“There is something about you… it almost makes me lose my mind when you’re around, you don’t know how hard is to stay away from you and near you at the same time, it is the happiest and the saddest thing I ever felt and I can’t… I can’t find this urgency inside me, this need for you and at the same time the fear… it draws me to you and pushes me aside but I keep begging for of you”

Allison holds a sigh, he won’t play with her mind, she is not naïve, she is not stupid anymore, he is a liar and that’s all.

“Say whatever you want Scott, I won’t fall for you again, there is no play for flatters or flowers, I can’t feel anything for you anymore” She says less bitterly than she wanted.

“It isn’t just me Allison, Isaac and Jackson feel the same way near you or Stiles”

_Stiles again._

“There is something about you both… I can’t place it with words, it’s like trying to explain why the world spins”

 _It is because of conservation of angular momentum dump werewolf_ she thinks almost chuckling.  

“You need to go Allison, somewhere else safe”

“I won’t go anywhere” She defies him even though she knows she can’t stand a change unharmed.

“God Allison!” He gasps with frustration. “Don’t you see that I’m trying to help you?”

“Help me?” Allison snorts. “You want to help me? Then tell me where were you when my house exploded?!” She grumbles with anger.

“I…”

“Go ahead my superhero, tell me how you tried to find my dad and…”

“Allison”

“What? Scott what?” She yells biting her lip.

“I’m sorry… I really do but you have to let go your dad, he’s not coming back”

“You don’t know anything about my dad!”

“It’s been months! You need to think about yourself!”

“All that I can think is that I lost my dad, because of werewolves, I lost my ability to trust anyone because of werewolves. I lost my mom because of werewolves. Werewolves have just brought pain and tears to my life” She says holding back her tears.

“You need to trust me, please” He begs.

“Trust you?” Allison laughs as if it is the funniest thing in the world.

“Tell me. How can I trust you? When you’re with the guy who murdered my mom?” She finishes and starts her way back to foster house.

“Allison” He hears Scott calling her at her back.

“Stay away from me Scott, because next time we meet I gonna kill Derek, if you stay in the middle I won’t hesitate to shoot an arrow to your head”

Allison starts running toward the foster house, the chill breeze makes her shiver, and her lungs beg for air after ten minutes but she doesn’t stop, she doesn’t do it until she is back in her shelter. When she comes in, she greets everybody with a smile in her face, climbs up the stairs and goes straight to her room right when she can’t fight her tears back anymore. She crumbles in her bed and cries like a sobs like a stupid little girl who misses her dad.

…….

“And well that’s basically what have happened since you left” Stiles finishes, although at first he just wanted to recall good times with his mom he couldn’t hold it back anymore and ended up telling her the whole story of what happened last year and how scared he is and how much he sorry for being the cause of her death.

He feels a little better now, even though he is crying and everything else but at least his mom knows the truth now, if she can hear him of course.

“You know?” He says with the shadow of a smile as he rubs his eyes “We could make a wont of this, would you like that? You and me here every Sunday sharing stories, maybe dad could come too and would sit hear eating sandwiches”

Stiles chuckles. “Like our picnics with grannie and pops every Saturday, remember?”

Stiles closes his eyes and tries to bring back the memory of those sunny…sunny days at… he place it right in his mind, he feels like he is seeing it but he can’t actually reach the memory, he can’t remember… was it?

A cold draft comes from behind and dishevels the hairs in the back of his neck.

“You did it Ronny, just stole that ball” He says accusingly.

“I didn’t” Ronny yells.

“No yet! Not yet!” He repeats over and over.

_Not yet_

Stiles rises his hand and slightly touches the back of his neck trying to reach something there. The wind blows harder and almost freezes his hand.

“It’s better if you sit, you will feel some sleep after I’m done” He hears his own voice say.

“It will be a boy” He mutters “It will be a boy” His voice comes out faintly.

Stiles kneels before his mom’s grave touching his nape, scratching it.

 _What?_ He thinks _what was it?_

A cry… a high pitched cry of kid. Stiles jolts on his place and fights the drowsiness away, what happened to him?

Another cry, louder this time but yet it feels farther than the first, a kid is crying outside the graveyard, he just heard it… needs his help.

A whine and a Stiles gets a goose bump, is there people dying already? Is he imagining it? No... It is outside the graveyard he can feel it.

Stiles spins on his heels and looks at his mom’s grave to say goodbye when it comes to his mind. Something that Marin told him months ago. A line of fertility made with graveyard’s dirt. Stiles takes a minute to think about it and then kneels and takes a handful of dirt, even now after a year his mom can protect him. A line of fertility a line of protection created by a binder…he is a binder… well he can bind… maybe it means something.

The sobs grow fainter. Stiles clenches his fists and runs toward the exit. He opens the screeching grating and looks around expecting find a pandemonium, people running down the streets for their lives and massive dark-pelted werewolves tearing down their throats and chopping their limbs….but… instead his finds his dad, coming in carrying flowers with him.

“Son!” He says startled to find him there. “You should be at school”

“Dad! A kid! Did you see a kid?” He asks quickly sweeping the street with his eyes and finding it almost empty.

His dad’s brow furrows, “No, there wasn’t a kid here, are you feeling alright?” Doctor Stilinski asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine I’m just… I could swear I heard a cry”

“Come on inside, I brought your mom white roses” His dad says patting his shoulder.

 _But I heard_ he thinks.

“Her favorites” Stiles replies with a grin. He comes in with his dad and realizes that he is still clutching the handful of dirt, he was going to risk his life if it was necessary, he knew he couldn’t stand a chance against the werewolves, that he was a hopeless human or at least that was what he thought, he can bind after all… he can make a difference, he will make a difference. He will fight and protect everyone he cares not matter what.

…….

Why Allison have to be so stubborn? Why she won’t listen to him? Scott is mad right now, not mad at her but her decisions. Though there are things that are making him feel uncomfortable right now, what was that about Allison’s mom? He know she is dead but… was it really Derek who murdered her? Why? Scott can’t think straight, he is too confused and dazed, Derek will go tonight to meet with the Fenrir and challenge him, what if he get killed? There will be no hope, he should be on his side.

He throws his backpack over the couch and starts climbing up the stairs still thoughtful. He feels so powerless right now, is he really going to leave Derek to die? If Derek dies he will be cursed forever though it isn’t an issue anymore considering that he can control himself now, even on a full moon but… still, he is not sure if he wants to live this way for ever, what is he going to do? Get his own pack?

He sighs and ends the stairs, he has practice right, he needs a shower though, how stupid sounds, go to an stupid practice and pretend that everything is alright when actually he is just waiting for the bloodbath with his arms crossed.

He opens the door right when an odd scent fills his nostrils, Scott something a living thing. His heart gives a lurch as his hand loosely tries to reach the light switch. There is a shadow sitting on his bed.

…….

She eventually stopped sobbing, she had to wash her face multiple times though her eyes are still a little swollen. She isn’t sure why she was crying anyway, nothing has changed, her dad is still missing and she needs to find him no matter what and Scott… Scott.

Allison shakes her head. It isn’t time to think about silly things and stupid werewolves. She goes to her desk, brings the laptop over the table and starts working on it. It takes her ten minutes to extract the hard disk, luckily it seems intact. She takes it with her and the rest of the stuffs she bought and sneaks into the hallway. At the other side of the room near the dolls and rest of the toys for the girls is the computer.

Allison looks both sides and then sits in the computer, she does the proper connections thanking that the little girls aren’t around and then boots it. After a couple of minutes the OS pops in the screen and Allison starts digging in the drives, she finds the new one and clicks it open. She is in!

She starts rummaging around her dad stuffs, she can’t help feeling relieved and happy it is almost as being in front of her dad after so long, a part of her is thrilled and another terrified of she might find but yet she continues with her task, she must find any clue of where her dad is if he left on free will and abandoned her or if he was kidnapped. Maybe he is with Uncle Jeremy after all. If she could find him…

She looks around folders and archives and some old videos taken with the cameras around the town, finally she finds what she is looking for. A backup of phone numbers. _Great_ she thinks with relief, she opens the software and before her thousands and thousands of numbers and email addresses appear before her eyes.

She scrolls down the addresses and numbers until one calls her attention _Supernatural Threats Control Unit_ she reads in her mind… what is that? A secret society? Is that the people for her dad works? There are phone numbers and email addresses, maybe she should write them, even if they don’t know about where her dad is they can help to find him. She takes a sheet of paper and writes down all the numbers and emails and then starts scrolling up looking for Uncle Jeremy’s number.

“Allison?” A voice says at her back.

She jumps on her feet and quickly closes the archive and looks back, Mrs. Berth is standing before her with a frown on her face and an eerie look on her eyes.

“Hey Mrs. Berth” She says with a fake smile.

“Are you alright?” The mom asks and then Allison recalls her swollen eyes.

“Yeah… I just… I think got the cold”

“Oh sweetie, you should have told me at once”

“I didn’t want to bother you”

“You don’t bother me, I love to have you here”

Allison grins again but this time for real.

“Honey… Dr. Fintshood is here” The woman says hesitantly.

“Today? Shouldn’t she come tomorrow instead?” Allison frowns.

“It is…a special visit” Mrs. Berth tries to explain “Can you come downstairs? She is waiting to talk to you about something important”

Allison stands from the chair quickly “Is something wrong?”

“Oh honey no” The woman giggles putting a hand on her shoulder.

Allison climbs down the stairs followed by Mrs. Berth and goes to the meetings room next to the kitchen. She finds Dr. Fintshood sitting behind the Mrs. Desk who welcomes her with a smile.

“Sit please Allison” Dr. Fintshood says beckoning at her with her hand.

“Is there something wrong?” She asks again and the woman smiles.

“Of course not honey, there just some things that have come to our knowledge about your situation”

 _Oh no they found his body, he is dead… he is dead… Dad._ She thinks fighting back the tears.

“Is he dead?” She asks with her voice cracking in the last word.

“Calm down honey, unfortunately we hadn’t find anything about your dad just yet” The woman says with a sad look in her eyes.

“Then what you want to talk me about?”

“This morning while you were at school, one of your relatives came to social services office”

_Relative?_

“Your uncle to be more specific?”

“Uncle Jeremy?” Allison says a little breathless, she is a little relieved and terrified, she hadn’t see her uncle Jeremy since she was a girl and she doesn’t know if he knows about the binders and everything else though she hopes he does, she hopes he can help her find her dad.

“No honey, your Uncle Brian, your mom’s brother” Dr. Fintshood explains.

 _Mom’s brother?_ Her mom was only child.

“He is waiting for you outside”

…….

Mellissa walks hastily down the hallways of the hospital, she has been on duty the whole day but finally she has some time to come here, even though she isn’t assigned to the case she feels the urgency to get involved, she doesn’t know why the sheriff haven’t shown much interest on it, everyone should be working on it.

“Mel” She recognizes Simon’s voice at once.

She spins and finds him coming into the hospital as he puts on his coat and meets her.

“Hey Simon” She greets him with a smile and take a look at him, they hadn’t talk much the last months, she actually hadn’t been the most social person since December after all what happened with Scott and Stiles she just… she doesn’t feel like talking to her best friend so she usually avoids the conversations with the man but now… well she is sure that her son is involved somehow with what happened to that man and she needs to know the truth about it as bitter as it can be.

“Is everything okay?” He asks a little preoccupied.

She nods “I just…”

“Oh god!” He starts speaking quickly “You found Longshots body don’t you? You found his body”

“Simon shut up!” She chuckles, she have forgotten how much Simon could ramble in matter of minutes even though she missed that.

“Is not that” She explains “I came for what _happened_ ”

His concerned face quickly fills with some curiousness and some dread “Oh! I thought you weren’t in the case” He replies as they both start walking toward his office.

“Actually I’m not” She confirms “But… I don’t know… it’s kind of scary don’t you think?”

“Scary?” He chuckles “I think I peed myself”

“You were there?” She says startled.

He nods “I heard the screams and came as fast as I could and found this man shouting, begging for help and his body! Started getting full for bulges, like moving muscles it was almost as if they were alive!”

She swallows picturing the scene in her mind.

“What happened then?”

“He exploded, like a bomb” He mutters with his eyes open as plates as he opens the doors for her.

They both get inside his office, Simon sits behind the desk and Mellissa takes the chair before him.

“That’s it?” She asks frowning.

“Well they started doing analysis to his blood and everything” He explains.

“And nothing living came out of the body?” She inquires chewing her bottom lip.

He shakes his head.

“What do you think, have you ever seen anything like it?”

“Not it my whole life, everything is perplex and confused no one knows what happened”

“His name was Thomas Hill” She says recalling the poor information she could collect before coming out of the commissary “His family said that he was out jogging, no one knows what could have happened to him”

“Something definitely out of this world” Simon mutters with a frightened face.

“What do you mean?”

“The bones… he had fifty more bones than an average adult human being”

Mellissa gasps open mouthed.

“But that isn’t the rarest thing” Simon whispers with his eyes absent as if he is recalling his scariest nightmare.

“What is it?” She frowns feeling her hands trembling and her heart thrumming.

“Those fifty extra bones marrow bone and things like claws they were they were new”

“How new?”

“As if they were growing right when he was dying… almost as if… as if he were”

“Transforming in something else” She finishes for him. 


	18. ALIENUS

III

ALIENUS

 

Everything is happening so fast. One second she is talking with doctor Fintshood about her…Uncle? It is impossible, her mom didn’t have brothers or sisters and now the woman is telling her is time to meet him. Allison doesn’t know what to do. What if he is really her uncle? What if he is one people who set her house on fire? Allison doesn’t know what to do and her throbbing chest doesn’t help her to think in what to do.

She has no choice, she is underage which means that they are going to force her meet him, he is waiting outside already so… at least she doesn’t think that if he is a werewolf he will dare to attack her in the foster house. Dr. Fintshood is telling her now about the first visit and how he is just going to take her to have an ice cream to meet each other but it might be a lie so she needs to be ready to defend herself in case he tries to kidnap her…but what if…what if he really is her uncle? She think straight her mind is spinning.

“Allison” Dr. Fintshood says and Allison snaps back to reality.

The psychiatrist stares at her as if Allison might be ill so Allison hurries to change her expression, whoever is this man she must find the truth or else she will have to stay in the foster house at least another year and then what? It’s been months since her dad disappeared. She can’t hope to just find her all out of the blue in the street, if he is…alive… he should looked for her already. Allison must face the facts and accept that probably she is not going to see her dad ever again. She is by herself now and if the people that killed or kidnaped her dad is now looking for her she will be ready for them, she isn’t a little girl anymore. Last December she defeated a dangerous werewolf with her binding and she can do it again with Stiles or without him.

“I’m fine” She lies with a shy smirk.

“Are you ready? We can tell you uncle to come another day”

“No, it’s fine really I just… for a second thought that it was my dad and…”

Dr. Fintshood blinks and looks at her with empathy and some pity. Mostly pity actually.

“Allison the police is doing their best to…”

“I know” Allison cuts her off with another grin.

“Maybe this will be just temporally, now that the bodies are identified and none of them was your father is just matter of time before they find out what happened to him and you too will reunite”

Allison nods. She so happy of having Dr. Fintshood and Lydia in her life she isn’t sure where she would be right now if it wasn’t for them.

“Now” The woman says and stands. “If you would be so kind of opening the door for us”

Allison holds her breath and an idea flashes her mind. “Wait… I would like to say goodbye to Martha” She says thinking about the kind who makes the meals for the foster house.

“Allison” Dr. Fintshood starts smiling at her in a motherly way. “You’re just going to meet him, there is a still some paperwork that needs to be done in case just accept. You’re almost an adult if you feel like the best for you is staying I’ll make sure your decision is respected”

“I know” Allison affirms. “But… just in case” She bats her lashes and smiles again.

“Alright” The woman gives up. “I’ve some instructions for him so we will be waiting for you outside”

Allison nods and comes out. Now in the empty hallway she breaths out with relief to find it empty, she just hopes Martha is occupied in something else so she can sneak in the kitchen unnoticed. She comes through the hallway and turn left in the end, luckily Martha must be doing the shopping now because the little kitchen is empty as she hoped. Allison comes to the first drawer and without thinking she grabs the two largest knives she sees and hurries to hide them between her belt and her blouse before anyone comes in and finds her.

When she is ready she takes a deep breath and walks out of the kitchen feeling how her heart beat stirs with every step she takes, she has a bad feeling she almost can see a pelted half-human half-wolf being waiting for her outside, but…now she must think what will be her next step. In case he is truly a werewolf she is going to kill him but then what? She can’t just come back to the foster house, when they find him dead they will turn to her, she could go to jail her best option is hide and change her name, but that means to leave Beacon Hills and all hope of finding her father.

In other hand if he truly is her Uncle she will gonna have to go with him and that means to leave Beacon Hills. She is not quite sure if she wants to leave. A part of her wants to flee and forget she ever stepped in this town but that won’t be possible. Another part of her wants to stay and fight. Kill the monsters that tore apart her family because in the end she got nothing. She has no other reason to live. She doesn’t know anything, she has no dreams or hopes she doesn’t know who she wants to be and if she goes without fulfilling her revenge she will live the rest of her life regretting it.

Allison comes back to the hallway and turns right. At the end of the corridor is the door that will take her to her future whatever it is. She waddles toward it with hesitation, she takes the doorknob and hears the creaking sound of the wood. When she comes out she finds Dr. Fintshood talking with a lanky man next to a car, they both seem to be having a lot of fun for the look in the woman’s face. When they notice her presence the man cranes his neck toward her and Allison swallows with some difficulty. He is white man with a fresh shaven face, gray eyes and hooked nose. Allison isn’t sure why but he looks somehow familiar. Does this mean he is her uncle? Or all contrary she is recognizing one of the werewolves from last December? Her heart quivers and he quickly approaches with a big grin on his face.

“Hello Allison”

Allison takes a minute to reply she is dazed and a little exhausted after all the things that have happened today. “Hi” She simply says.

“I know you don’t recognize me, last time I saw you, you were just a baby girl”

 _Can I really trust this man?_ Allison chews her bottom lip and looks at Dr. Fintshood who nods at her.

“I was thinking we could have some Ice cream to know each other, what do you say? Do you like ice cream?”

Maybe…maybe if he is a werewolf she can unmask him right away. When he beckons her to follow him to the car an idea flashes her mind. Werewolves’ heat. If she takes him by surprise… She doesn’t think twice. Instead of following him Allison sinks her face in his chest and holds him in a tight embrace, and he feels warm… but not hot… not like Scott used to when he held her in his arms.

She lets go embarrassed and a little relived she did it in front of Dr. Fintshood and then she gasps with disappointment when she recalls something she read once in the Binding book. Bipedalist can even hide their extreme heat, so even when she took him by surprise he still might be a werewolf. Her heartbeat rises again and she grits her teeth following him to his car. She climbs him reluctantly and waves at Dr. Fintshood who makes her sings to adjust her seatbelt. Right just what she needs right now. Being trapped in a car with a possible werewolf. She does as she is bid and then she feels the pressure of the knives under her clothes and she calms down a little, if he is a werewolf he must have been feeling how anxious she was just seconds ago.

“Are you ready?” He says with another clean smile.

Allison nods hesitantly and he turns on the engine.

He starts driving away from the foster house. Allison can’t stop looking at him in the eye waiting for them to glow or something he notices her glance and tilts his head toward her.

“How are you feeling?” Asks looking back at the road.

“I’m a little scared actually” She admits a little embarrassed.

“You don’t need to I promise everything is going to be alright” He says with a reassuring voice and then is when she notices it. They just passed by the ice cream shop and the car didn’t stop.

…….

“Mr.…Mr. Argent?” Scotts mutters doubtful. In front of him right on his bed is sitting a man with some familiar features and some many others that don’t match with the face he recalls from that afternoon when his world crumbled.

The stranger’s familiar face wrinkles in a scornful expression. “So… you can see my face?” Mr. Argent’s voice and at least it hadn’t change as the rest of his body did. “Or is it my scent?”

Scott looks around feeling his heartbeat in the tip of his fingers, he is not sure what is going on. Is this Allison’s father for real? He just told her an hour ago that he wouldn’t come back and now… is this man really him? What happened to his face? Scott can’t tell… he seems to look like Christopher Argent and at the same time he looks like a different person, even his scent isn’t exactly the one Scott once knew.

“What do you mean by I can see your face?” Scott stutters fearing the answer.

The might or might not be Christopher Argent stands and Scott hesitantly steps back. Is it some kind of trick? Has the Fenrir anything to do with this? What if it is a trap?

“How can I put it to you?” The man says thoughtful scratching his chin. “I am and the same time I am not Chris Argent”

Scotts recoils a little farther until his back hits the wall and he suddenly feels trapped.

“A friend of mine I think you know him, Deaton, helped me change who I am for a short period of time”

“He helped you? Derek told me he didn’t help anyone!”

“He had no choice, this had to happen this way! But I must admit that neither of us knew what was going to happen next, sometimes the voices in the wind doesn’t whisper accurately in his ear”

What is he talking about?

“We have no time, it is a pretty hard binding and it last just a couple of minutes, tell me what you see in me”

Scott hesitates, what is Mr. Argent talking about? “I think… I don’t understand” He says as politely as his fear lets him. This is Allison’s father, he knows it, he can’t tell how but he just… knows.

“I can’t place it but… your mouth is the same as your ears…but the rest of your features…” Scott tries to explain with frustration, is something he can’t understand.

“It’s okay Scott I get it” Mr. Argent says rising his hand to make him signs to stop. “What do you see is a half-Alienus”

“Alienus?” Scott repeats in a soft mutter.

The man nods. “It is a powerful binding that allows you to be someone else for a short period of time. It is tricky and especially useful to identify your enemies, as you might know humans and binders doesn’t have those especial noses of your kind”

 _Your kind._ It almost sounds as an accusation.

“You see… it can only hide your from your enemies, while the people that can be trusted see you as you are”

“Are….are you saying that I…” Scott starts but his voice trails off as soon as Mr. Argent rises his hand again.

“I used it because I needed to know if I can trust you… and even though you can’t truly see me it looks like you find some resembles on my face…”

“Mr. Argent… I think I’m not…”

“Longshot!” Scott’s mom’s voice breaks from the hallway.

“Hey Mellissa” The man’s face smirks and now Scott can see more familiar features on it, it is like the pieces of a puzzle starting to fit on his mind.

Scott turns and finds himself facing his mom who is coming in and even when she seems happy to meet her friend her hand comes quickly to her belt were she takes her gun and rises aiming to the man’s head.

“Come one Melissa put it down… you’re not going to hurt me” The man replies sternly.

“What? What happened to you?” Scott mom’s demands as her eyes quickly become fiery and some pieces of that afternoon in the lake start clouding Scott’s mind. Both of them… shooting…at him. His mom… shooting at him.

“I came through a series of queasy events” The man simply says as if Scott’s mom isn’t aiming at him with a gun.

“You tried to kill my son!” She roars and her voice creaks in the last words.

Scott feels a stab in the chest, after all those months of silence and… and an anxious scent in the air… he just… he just thought his mom didn’t love him anymore but now… now he has to fight his tears back.

“It was a misunderstanding, I must admit that I still have my doubts with Scott but now that you showed up I feel more comfortable with what I’m about to ask you”

“Ask me?” She snaps irate.

“Actually I was talking to Scott” He explains courteously. “As you probably know Scott things are complicating in the town”

Scott nods.

“What?” His mom asks. “What do you mean? Does this has anything to do with the man who died in the hospital? Was he like Scott? Is the same going to happen to Scott?”

Now Scott not only feels his mom’s rage but fear for his life, and the relief washes him for the first time in months he doesn’t feel lonely.

“What do you mean?” Chris Argent now seems lost.

“The man!” She tries to make him understand. “The one who exploded, they think he was muting…. Into some creature with…fangs…and claws”

She says those words and Scott knows she doesn’t dare to look at him.

“I don’t know what you are talking about” Chris Argent admits. “But I promises I’ll find out as soon as our business here are done”

“What are you longshot?” She asks with a shaky voice. “What is going on here?”

Now she starts lowering her gun.

“I’m the same as you, a concerned parent” He affirms and then shifts his eyes back on Scott. “As I was telling you, we are in a tricky situation, you can see me but no fully which means that you still hadn’t figure out your mind about me”

“You tried to murder Derek” Scott shots back a little uncomfortable with his response.

“I should have done that I long ago” Chris Argent snaps a little irate.

“You tried to murder me, that’s what you guys do right?”

“If you talking about Binders I seems like Derek didn’t fill you with all the details, how convenient”

“What are you talking about?” Scott’s mom asks lost.

“Maybe you don’t know this but I can’t bind anymore, I lost that ability many years ago when I was just a boy like you. That is why I need Deaton’s help to cast the simplest binding”

“Deaton?” Scott’s mom asks confused but they both ignore her.

“What does that has to do with me?” Scott demands.

“Everything Scott, I’ve been running for my life and trying to find help but unfortunately I hadn’t been lucky. Now, I must ask you a question”

Scott nods hesitantly.

“Do you love Allison?” As soon as those words leaves Chris Argent’s lips Scott’s heart leaps. He… Allison and him had a short…but beautiful relationship…but it was… it was just a teen’s thing right? He well… he knows that Allison has this odd scent like Stiles but…what if she didn’t have it? Would he still find it hard to stay away from her? He… he…

“I came all this way here because of what your friend said. Stiles in the lake, even when you were Fourer somehow you were in control and even though you couldn’t control your shifting you fought to keep her safe with your mother in that cave” He explains.

Scott feels a lump in his throat, why? Why? Asking this now? He feels so lost and scared and it would be funny if Allison’s father wouldn’t be that badass werewolf killer but… even if he kills him right now… even if Allison doesn’t want to do anything with him anymore and even thought their relationship wasn’t long…he…

He nods.

“That’s what I thought” Chris Argent smirks. “I must ask you something, I need you to take Allison and runaway”

“What?” Scott’s mom scoffs. “What are you talking about? Are you seriously telling my son to runway with your daughter? Do you have any idea of how bizarre that is?”

“If you really are with Derek you must know what is coming to the town right now” The man says sternly looking straight into Scott’s eyes.

“They are here already” Scott nods.

“Who?” His mom asks.

“Dangerous people Mellissa, if you love your son just must go with him and Allison and never come back”

“Mom…”

“What is going Scott?”

“There is a massive pack of werewolves hiding in the surrounding towns, some of them are already here, and they’re planning to start a war… and…”

He can see it, his mom isn’t getting anything of what he’s saying.

“I must…”

“We need to alert the station!” His mom hurries to say with her lip wobbling.

“What are they going to do? Shoot bullets at them? Do you remember what happened when you tried to do that to your son?” Mr. Argent scoffs and Scott suddenly feels the urgency to shut him up.

“Don’t talk to me like that!” His mom roars.

“It’s okay I didn’t came to start a fight, I’m sorry” The man bends his head and rises his hands in an apology.

“Why don’t you take Allison and go away? I must stay, I promised… Derek…”

“What? What are you two going to do against two eight hundred werewolves?” The man says bitterly.

“Eight hundred?” Scott’s mom repeats with terror.

“A thousand actually” Scott corrects them feeling just worse with his own words.

“Do you really wanna stay and die for Derek?”

“What about you?” Scott shots back. “Are you going to stay and die? Do you have any idea of how much Allison has suffered because of you?”

Chris Argent nods. “My past is chasing me I can’t run forever, but the people that are looking for me doesn’t know about Allison, everybody thinks she died years after her mom, she will be safer with you than me, you’re strong after all”

Scott recoils, the idea of running away with Allison would have seemed a dream come true but in another life…in another world were we would be normal and she wouldn’t hate him for being who he is.

“Mr. Argent…”

“Please Scott”

“What did she say about it?”

“I hadn’t see her yet…but I’m going to try to convince her, there is no place for you in this war, you are just a victim, another pawn in game”

“Who? What is going on?” His mom asks.

Scott nods with his heartbeat stabilizing now. “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe”

“Thank…” Chris Argent starts.

“But… it will depend of her decision whether if she choices to stay or go, I won’t manipulate her to anything something she doesn’t want”

Chris Argent nods.

“I’ll go to see her now, I suppose it is dangerous for you to go out, with the werewolves and the police looking for you” Scott points out and then stares at his mom pleading for her silence.

“That won’t be necessary” Chris Argent replies softly and then sits in his bed.

And then Scott feels it…that scent.  

…….

So many things crossed her mind. She imagined herself hanged on a tree, stabbed in the chest. The worst scenarios for her included her head chopped off or worse being turned into a werewolf. But none of them happened at least for now… She is terrified and even thought she is tempted to tug her knives and kill him whoever he is something inside her tells her it isn’t alright, as he drives the way he is taking is making her anxious, the route he is taking its making sense in her mind but… but…why?

When he stops the car she knows she has been right the whole time, this man isn’t her uncle he is someone somehow related with all the shit that is happening in the town.

“Let’s go” He says with a grin.

Allison takes a deep breath and cocks her head to the side to face Scott’s home. What are they doing there? Is this some kind of trick? Is Derek waiting inside to murder her? Or is Scott going to insist her to leave the town again? She has no time for any of it, but whatever is waiting for her she can’t runaway she is really mad right now because of the lie and she is already armed with a pair of knives. Whoever is messing with her will pay the price and if it is Derek he better be ready.

Allison climbs down of the car and slowly follows her face uncle Brian to the front door. “Who really are you?” She demands dryly.

He blinks twice. “I’m your uncle sweetie” He says with a wounded low voice.

“Then why…?” She starts asking.

“I don’t that much… I just know that I’m your uncle and that I needed to get you out of there at least for a couple of hours” He explains and then she notices… he is…confused…maybe as confused as her…but… he really thinks he is her uncle…how?

“Allison” A voice calls from the now opened door and her world falls apart.

An intense headache sizes her, her minds becomes cloudy and she can swear she smelling blood inside her nose, her legs turn into jelly and her heart skips a beat. Allison cranes her neck to her right where her dad is standing next to Scott and now… she just falls under the unbearable weight of her grief, fear, doubts and pain. She can’t stand it anymore she is too hurt…too used to live terrified and breathless…she just…

“Allison!” Her dad’s voice is now concerned.

 _Is this for real?_ Is all her mind can manage to think as she feels a par of extremely hot hands taking her gently before her temple hits the ground, they are strong and calloused and surprisingly familiar. She wants to scream and kick and cry _let me go!_ But her lungs lack the air and her tongue the words so she just gives up and lets Scott carry her body inside to let her lay over a comfortable couch.

She is tempted to let it go and fall asleep but something inside her is squirming and yelling her to wake up, to stand up. Her dad is there…Her dad is there! She must open her eyes, she must see him before she wakes up in her room in the foster house lonely and soaked in sweat and tears, but this doesn’t feel like a dream…this is so vivid she can even feel the spark prickling her hand announcing that Stiles is just a door away or her, this must be real. This has to be real.  

“Are you alright?” Asks her dad’s soft and scrappy voice as a gentle and warm palm comes to her forehead.

Allison opens her eyes slowly and fixes them in her father’s green ones. “You are really here” She mutters unable to hear her own voice.

He nods.

Tears climb to her eyes. He is here. This is not a dream. Everything…everything will be…okay. She jerks up holding her head as a lump climbs to her throat and she chokes her tears and her nauseas.

“Where have you been?” She says louder this time, sweeping the room with her eyes. Scott and her dad are standing before her at Scott’s right is the boy’s mom and her fake uncle Brian.

“I’ve been trying to find your uncle Jeremy” Her dad explains hoarsely.

“That’s it?!” She suddenly roars and before she notices her dad is laying on his back on the floor and she is in top of him rising her hand to slap him. “You abandoned me!” She cries.

“Allison!” Scott says startled grabbing her by the back of her collar bone.

“Let me go!” She yells but the boy doesn’t listen to her and hauls her up as if she is just a little girl and takes her back to her seat in the coach.

Her dad sits on the floor and gasps as he stares at her with…what? Disappointment? Sadness? Pity? What the hell is wrong with him?

“How could you leave me?” She demands holding back her tears, she knows what she told her dad the last time she saw him and how much she regretted those words this past months but just… looking at him like this, telling her that he has been alright all this time… it just makes her want to hurt him… she knows he is her dad…but…she is really mad at him right now.

“I’m really sorry Allison but I had no choice” He says it and it looks like he really means his words but Allison can’t just buy it, she can’t just accept it that easily.

“Before I say anything else please come here” Her dad asks gently taking her hand. At first Allison reaction is to let go from his touch she can’t even stand it but something inside her forces her to follow him. He leads her to the middle of Scott’s living room where uncle Brian is standing with blank face and almost motionless, is he breathing?

“Raise your hand and stroke his cheek then whisper in his ear wake up Marty three times” He mumbles in her ear.

Allison cranes her neck to her dad confused what is he talking about? “What the….?”

“Just do it please” He hurries her.

Allison rises her hand and does as her dad bid her. When she finishes whispering the phrase in the man’s ear one last time his eyes come back to life and he stares at all of them for a second.

“Excuse me” The man says with an odd accent. “I must have come here by mistake, I’m sorry is I have upset you”

Everyone nods even Scott’s mom who seems prettified with terror in her place staring at Allison hands as if they were poisonous.

“What happened?” She asks as her fake Uncle Brian comes out of the house as confused as them and gets in his car and drives away.

“It was for safety, Deaton put that on his mind just in case he is captured and interrogated he won’t remember meeting us ever” Her dad explains.

“Who was he?” Allison demands feeling sick. Lies and more lies it seems like it is all her dad has to offer for her.

“He was a homeless man, I found him to bring you here and got him a home and a job as a payment for his services, remember to always pay your debts the balance needs to be even” He says and now Allison needs to take a seat again, it was just a plan from her dad to get her out of the foster house.

“I wish I could have taken you with me Allison but it would have been dangerous, I had to fight for my life countless times in my way to find your uncle Jeremy”

“Dad what’s going on?” Allison demands scared.

“I think we all here want to know that” Scott’s mom interrupts with a shaky voice but Allison doesn’t dare to look at the woman she wants to go home with her dad but their home doesn’t exist anymore and by the look on her dad eyes she knows that this isn’t the beginning of their happy ending.

“I couldn’t find your uncle Jeremy, he vanished” He says with disappointment.

“Just tell me what’s going on, you can’t just go and expect me to understand…I’ve been dying inside all this time without you” She is exhausted, her voice trails off in the end she just wants to lay on her bed whenever it is now and drift away.

“Is too dangerous Allison, I’m really sorry” Her dad replies with a pleading look. “All I can say is that there is bad people looking for me and they will find you eventually”

“So what? Are you just going to wait for them and fight?” She says shocked.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, my priority now is to see leave the town safely”

Her heart gives a lurch. “What? No! I can’t leave the town, not without you! You just came back! You can’t expect me to let you go again! I won’t go and there is nothing you can do to make me change my mind!”

“You won’t go alone Allison, Scott has agreed to…”

 _Scott? Scott?_ She repeats in her mind with disgust.

“Are you mad? I won’t go anywhere with him! He is a monster!” She says harshly and even though she meant it that way suddenly she feels bad for saying those words.

“Allison…”

“I won’t go dad! I have to live without you all this time, you have no right to tell me what to do! You hear me?”

He bends his head setting his jaw in frustration. “I’m really sorry, I did what I thought was the best for you”

“You thought wrong” She replies dryly.

“Maybe, but at least you are alive and that’s all that matters” He lets out with a brief grin. “If you’re not going then you must stay here, Scott will protect you”

“I don’t need protection dad! And less from him! He lied to me about who he was! He is werewolf he is the enemy! He is with Derek!”

“I won’t discuss this Allison, I can’t let you in that foster house if you wanna stay in the town you’re staying here” Her dad grunts and for the first time this afternoon he is acting more like the dad she remembered and the one she craved for.

“What?” Scott’s mom suddenly says realizing what Allison’s father is saying.

“Mom, let’s get out of here” Scott says taking his mom from her arm and leading her out of the room.

“Dad I can’t stay here, where are you going? I’ll go with you, I’m not a child anymore I can defend myself!” She assures.

“You can’t go with me Allison, I’ll be hiding if something comes wrong and they find us they won’t hesitate to rip your throat just to destroy me, you are all I got, I’m going to survive for you because I love you, please try to understand and trust in me” He begs and tears climb to Allison’s eyes.

“I’m sorry dad” She says breathless tasting the salty and wet tears on her lips and tongue. “I’m sorry for all the things I said that night”

“You don’t need to worry about that, I deserved every word”

“No you didn’t” She assures.

“Is getting dark” Her dad says and fear climbs inside her. “I brought you something” He comes to the back of the couch and snatches a backpack, he opens it and draws out a black box.

“I know how good you are with the bow, I thought you would like to have your own one. There are guns and knives inside too”

Allison takes the box eagerly.

“This are no toys Allison, I mean it. I don’t want you to go out there hunting werewolves or anything else that might show up. Do you understand?”

 _Anything else?_ A chill runs down her spine to the think of it.

“These are tools, to protect people not to murder, just use them in case your life is in danger alright?”

Allison breaths out and nods.

“I must go now…but…”

“Dad please don’t!”

“I’m sorry Allison but the longer I stay I’ll put you in more danger”

Allison takes the box with trembling hands and puts it aside.

“Takes this” He says when she turns, he is handling her a piece of paper with some words wrote on them.

“What is this?” She asks.

“A binding” He says proudly. “I was doubtful if you would be able to cast off Marty’s real self and you did it without any issues, your will is strong! Just like your mother’s” He smiles.

“Use this to get rid of the foster house, read the binding over the phone to every person who was in charge in there and later you will tell them how happy you are of living with your uncle Brian and grateful for all their work. You will tell them that you are so happy that they found him and took to live with him right away, that should be enough for them to do all the paperwork and they won’t bother anymore”

Allison smirks, that easy? The solution to all her was that easy? Just to bind? Her will… it is weird for her to talk with her dad about binding as a common thing, was it the same for Scott’s mom? Can she accept the fact that her son is different?

“Dad? Why don’t you cast it yourself?” She asks curious, he could have done it from the beginning.

“One day I’ll tell why I can’t bind, but that is a long story and we ran out of time” He says sadly.

“When I will see you again?” She says asking herself in her mind if she is going to see her dad ever again.

“I don’t know” He admits with hoarse voice. “Come here”

He takes her in his arms and presser tight against her chest. “I love you so much” He says. “Mellissa is a good friend of mine, she will take care of you”

“I’m so sorry dad, I’m so sorry for everything I said about…”

He hushed her “Forget it”

A sweet breeze came from the window at her back stifling the hair in the back of her neck and Allison felt a chill.

“I can’t… daddy… she will die… and it’s my fault”

Allison’s dad let her go and stares at him with eyes opened wide. “What did you say?” He asks openmouthed.

Allison blinks “I said that I’m really sorry for…”

“Um… I’m sorry…I’m really tired…” He says not convinced of his words. “I love you…I love you” He mutters in her ear.

Allison takes a deep breath and when she opens her eyes her dad is gone.

…….

That…cries…those yells of a kid… it was upsetting and scaring. Stiles can’t stop thinking about them. For a second he thought that the fighting had started already and the he would found the town under attack by a pack of savage and angry werewolves. It is over now, well, at least for now but he knows it is just matter of time before everything becomes a living hell.

He is so tired, he can’t tell why but after going to the graveyard to visit his mom part of his strength faded pretty quickly he almost feels like…like when he distorted Deaton’s binding in the woods, he is breathless and tired his eyes are closing by themselves and all he wants is have some rest.

He opens the front door and without changing his clothes he goes straight to the kitchen. His dad will be pretty occupied that nigh and when he comes home the least Stiles can do is have dinner done for him. While he cuts the carrots and the potatoes he can stop thinking how many meals they got left. Because of their routines they barely share the table now it is like when they knew his mom only got a couple of months of life left suddenly every second counts and you want to treasure it, sink yourself on denial and think that you will be happy for ever…but forever always turns to be a short period of time.

When the dinner is done he doesn’t eat. Even though he is starving he feels like if he sits in the table he will just drift away and if his dad finds asleep in the table he will get worry and that is the less he would want now. Let his dad knows that something is troubling him.

He takes his dad plate on the microwave and gets upstairs. He takes a flash shower and gets into his pajamas. His laptop is on his bed, he takes it off and slides under the cover, rest his head on his pillow and his eyes close almost automatically, the last thing he thinks of while his thoughts become numb and confusing is that he is feeling the spark burning inside his chest.

“I didn’t….I didn’t…”

“Not Yet!”

…….

Right when she thought things couldn’t get weirder her best friend shows up in her home after months missing and presumed death. Talking about wars between mythical creatures right in her home town. Asking her to shelter his daughter in her home and treating her son as an equal even when he tried to murder him in front of her face.

It has been a long day and yet Melissa doesn’t feel like sleeping. After Longshot left she cleaned up Scott’s room for Allison. Her son will be sleeping with her as long as Allison is staying with them, she knows that the teens have been a couple just months ago and she doesn’t know if her son can have babies but she won’t risk that that girl might get pregnant with a… her son is not a monster…she knows he isn’t but… he is just a boy and he can’t have a family right now.

Gosh she has a lot to think about. She thought that she was crazy but she saw Allison talking with some people over the phone and even though she still seemed pretty reluctant to stay in there she asked her and Scott to accompany her to the foster house at the other side of the town. It was a weird thing, she fell like she was abusing of her privileges as an officer by taking the girl away from the foster home. When they got there they were received by a party of nice people that were happy to see Allison depart, they kept saying how happy they were that her uncle came to help her and how amazing was that he got a place right in that town to take care of her.

Melissa can’t stop thinking about it, the eyes of the people in the foster house. They seemed empty almost as if they were puppets. She knows it has something to do with longshot and his daughter. What the hell are they? How can a simple girl do such things? Mellissa is afraid she is losing her mind after shooting her son and now she is locked in a mental institution imagining conspiracies and wars.

She tosses on her bed. Scott is lying next to her with his eyes closed but she knows he isn’t asleep either. Her eyes turn watery with the thought of those nights after he came to this world. How…how beautiful, fragile and defenseless he was. Her little thing, the most important human being in the world. Now her son isn’t fragile or defenseless and he definitely isn’t a human being. Still…she…feels like he needs her protection. If she could only rise her hand and stroke his cheek and tell him how much she loves him. But…will he believe it? After what she did to him? After she shoot repeatedly at his head, of course he was a best right then but still was her son still was a scared little boy watching his mom aiming him with a gun and yet he didn’t do anything to defend himself. Will this awful thoughts ever stop haunting her? She isn’t sure she will able to forget herself for what she did, and for her silence. She knows her son must have felt lonely and scared and sad all this months and she didn’t do anything she didn’t but what? What she could have done? Go to therapy? Are there support groups for parents of werewolves?

Finally the tiredness takes over her. She drifting away, she doesn’t know what time is it but she knows that Scott is still awake. What is he thinking? Is he thinking about the girl in his room? Or is he thinking about how weird is being this close to his mother and yet this long. Being separated by an unbreakable invisible wall. Magic…War…Werewolves…Secrets…Conspiracies… She still can’t believe in all this, it is so surreal. A war is about to explode in the town according to Longshot and she can’t do anything about it…this is the place she swore to protect but to just the idea of telling the sheriff about a war of Magic and Monsters makes her realize how crazy she would sound. They will destitute her and lock her down for good.

 _What I’m going to do?_ She thinks. She can’t…let them hurt her son…this guy Derek…is the same Derek of the cabin in the forest? They can’t leave…she can’t go away and leave everyone to die…neither she can stay and try to convince everybody of what is about to happen…the only thing she can do…is stay and fight.

…….

Allison is grateful with Melissa McCall for letting her stay in her home, but she doesn’t feel comfortable in here. After all the things she said to Scott that same afternoon before finding out that her dad was alive and save…She just…feels like crap. Nothing has changed Scott is still Derek’s puppet just like Stiles but… Allison kind of regrets the way she treated him. Yeah she knows he is a werewolf but he was her boyfriend, he treated her kindly and never tried to hurt her, and now she is staying in his room. It is odd to think that her dad decided to ask a werewolf to protect his daughter. Werewolves and Binders are enemies after all. Why her dad didn’t call the STCU? Where is her uncle Jeremy?

She gets out of Scott’s bed and grabs her jacket from the chair before the computer. She tugs the piece of paper out of her pocket and stares at the phone numbers… she lets out a sigh and then stares back at the bed. She should get some rest…no…they will come after her she knows it. Her dad wants to protect her but that doesn’t mean he will be able to do it. Scott told her after all, there is something about her scent…. She shakes her head and comes to the bed, snatches the binding book from bellow the pillow.

Allison stares at the carved runes on the cover of the book and traces the lines with the tip of her fingers. She can’t believe how easy was to play with the minds of everybody in the foster house. How simple is to trick a system…the possibilities… are endless… she could to anything. It is scaring and thrilling. Gosh! If she only had the book when she was just a little girl now…now she would be a badass Binder and she wouldn’t have to be afraid of anything. That’s what she needs. She needs to learn. She have shown her dad that she can cast easily he even became amazed by how simple it seemed for her and indeed it was… she just followed his instructions and everything happened it is like reconnecting with something inside her it is almost like nostalgia and happiness mixed in a single emotion. She knows the answers are inside her she is a natural. She learns fast maybe her dad can’t train her but… she can train herself.

She opens the book and starts digging in its pages looking for something she recalls watching long time ago when she was naïve and stupid and still didn’t know that werewolves and other creatures were real. Cycles that’s the part. It has all the bindings that make Allison think of witchcraft and Salem. She starts reading some titles until one calls her attention. _Ignire._ She reads in her mind. It is…set something on fire. Cast fire out of nowhere, well, not nowhere. It needs a flammable material, oxygen and heat. She doesn’t continue reading….she needs to think as a binder… She knows she can do this…she just need to concentrate. She is sure a well skilled binder can cast fire out of anything.

She needs….a flammable material. She grabs a sheet of paper from Scott’s desk and comes back to the bed. Heat….heat…how is she going to find heat without of using a lighter or something like it? Damn, it is frustrating, she is tempted to look at the book but it would be cheating. She takes a deep breath and lets out the air slowly and then it is when she realizes she has the source of oxygen…her breathing and willpower and if her breathing…will be life of the fire then…there is only one thing that makes her guts scorch and feel like they are ablaze…. Anger.

Allison closes her eyes, and starts thinking…Derek…his mom dead…her dad leaving her, Scott lying and Stiles too, Lydia getting bitten because of her…it all just…makes her grit her teeth and makes her want to scream and destroy everything that surrounds her. She is ready. She takes the sheet of paper in her hand, takes a deep breath and snaps her fingers…the dark room suddenly is illuminated by an intense light. Allison gaps and then pants staring at her fingers…they…are…on fire…on real orange and yellow flames that are eating her nails. She lets out a soft cry and starts shaking her hand desperately and the flames start to shrink, their light along with it until she is again alone in the darkness holding her throbbing hand with the other, tears climb to her eyes. She is still panting and…and…smiling…she did it… she was right! Though something went wrong, maybe she focused too much on her fingers, maybe it was her breathing but she did it! She is not helpless her hand knew what do to just like when she learned to shoot arrows.

Even though her fingers keep throbbing and they are red and almost bloody she tries again, this time the fire sets up lower and less intense and there is when she realizes that her anger is related to it as she thought, she sets it out quickly washing her tears away. She was happy for her successful first attempt and yet her fingers burnt…but this time it wasn’t as hard as the first. She reached something inside her she can feel it…she is strong…she is not the stupid girl her dad and Scott think, she can fight, she can save her dad…she needs to find him, if she only had her phone…it doesn’t matter. Without hesitation Allison grabs the black box her dad gave and opens it, she gaps when she notices that it is really deep even when it is squared it has a long bottom. She digs her hand inside and she feels like a magician drawing a hare out of a hat. She feels her fingers brushing a string and she pulls up.

The bow is large, made of hard black wood with a strong string, inside there is also a quiver and a pair of guns. Her dad is so silly, he really thought his daughter was a defenseless little girl, but no… she is a binder. A soldier and she won’t wait arms crossed while her dad is ripped apart by those monsters.

Allison puts the guns inside her pockets opens the window and stares down… it is a long way to the brushy ground, but she isn’t afraid, she can land without suffering any wounds or breaking any bone she learned how to do it with the video she saw the other day. She wedges her head from the hole in the window and jumps. She will land safely she knows it. And she does indeed.

She takes sneaky steps hiding in the shadow of Stiles’ home as she heads of the lawn. She needs to find her dad and show him what she is capable of…she is sure he will be pretty impressed and will let her stay with him to fight together against whatever is after him. She looks up at the windows of Stiles’ home and she wonders if he knows how to cast fire too, she wonders what kind of skills he has learned and have hid from her all this time…if he…wasn’t a liar and a traitor Allison would have been with him training and learning new and exciting ways to control the world that surround them.

“What are you doing?” Says a voice when she is coming out of the McCall’s terrain.

Allison’s heart leap and she holds her breath, she turns and finds Scott standing next to her with a wrinkling brow. Her heartbeat steadies a bit thought it shouldn’t her dad might trust in Scott but she isn’t as naïve as him, she knows Scott sooner or later will sell her to Derek.

“I could ask you the same” She replies without looking in the eye and as if he isn’t there she continues heading out of there, maybe her dad didn’t tell her where he is but she has an idea.

“I would tell you that I’m following you, what’s your excuse” The boy replies happily as if they were just hiking throw a meadow.

“I’m finding my dad, I won’t stay arms crossed while his life is in danger” She explains even though she doesn’t owe him any explanations.

“Alright” He says thoughtfully. “You’re looking for your dad in the middle of the night, when the town is packed with an army of extremely dangerous werewolves, how smart of you”

“Don’t act like nothing has happened between us” She says bitterly. “I don’t trust you”

“Ouch” He chuckles.

“You’re enjoining it don’t you? Watching me how I’m treated like a girl from everybody, even you! I’m not stupid little kid”

“No one is treating you like nothing Allison, don’t you get it? Everybody is scared! You should too” He says sternly.

They pass the entrance of the neighborhood and now they waddle in the long and dark streets that lead to the other side of the town.

“I should be scared? Are you out of your mind? I’ve been fucking terrified since I put a foot in this friggin town! Don’t tell about being scared because you don’t know what it is, to being afraid of your own family, your friends, your home, your boyfriend and even of yourself”

Scott stops to a halt and Allison keeps walking without looking at him.

“Allison lets go home please” He pleads.

“Home?” She lets out a snarky scoff. “I have no home, it was destroyed remember? By werewolves”

“Allison… you know what I mean, I can’t leave you here in the alone in the middle of the night”

Allison’s heart skips a beat and she bits her bottom lip, who the hell he think he is to say those things? How can he still believe that he has the right to care about her? How can he think that she will believe in any of his words? Shit why she feels so…empty and hurt right now?

“Just go away Scott” She says with anger for being so stupid to almost feel tears climbing in her eyes, hadn’t she cried enough for the rest of her life?

“I promised your dad I’ll protect you no matter what” He says steadily and almost…believable. No…he is lying.

“I don’t care what my dad said, you don’t owe me anything, you’re just Derek’s servant and he killed my mom…and I’ll …”

“I will protect you no matter what, not because your dad asked me. I’m doing it because of me, because I’m selfish and if something happens to you…I won’t a have a reason to live”

Allison lets out a soft whisper as she lets control of her breathing and her stomach plunges down. No…he…is lying…he is lying….she can’t believe in his words….she shakes her head.

“I’ll find my dad and we’ll kill those bastards that are chasing him and then…we’ll go after Derek, so please Scott stay away from me. Because…because if you are in the middle when the time comes…I’ll kill you too” She cranes her neck with fiery anger burning through her, she feels like she could set him on fire right here right now… but…

“Allison…” He starts with sadness but his voice trails off when a high pitched cry cuts the night and both of them jerk their heads as their left… it came from just a couple of streets away.

“What the…” She is saying when Scott grabs her by the arm. “Allison get back to the house” He orders.

“No!” She replies defiantly.

“Are you crazy? Do you wanna die?” He growls with frustration. “Get back home now!” He lets her go and starts running toward the source of the scream.

“I told you I have no home weredump!” She jokes as she starts following him.

…….

Allison is in danger! That’s the first thing that comes to Stiles mind as he jolts on his bed…he can…explain it…but something….something in his chest. She spark! It is killing him right now! He closes his eyes and he sees blood and some trees and…Scott? He is not sure but his mind…gosh! It is going to kill him! He holds it in his hands but he can’t do anything about it… the tears are flowing down and his chest it feels like….it is about to explode. And suddenly everything fades.

Stiles sits on his bed breathless, staring at the darkness what time is it? Was it a dream? No…it was so real…. He still can feel his chest pulling him up…almost as if it is telling him the way… he can’t explain it but he needs to find Allison now… something is not right.

Stiles comes out of his bed dizzy and falls on his fours. He pants and assisted by the bed he stands up. He comes out of the room and almost falls down the stairs. He opens the front door of his house. _Damn my jeep!_ He recalls with anger. He has no car, he’ll…he’ll have to run.

He follows the pulsation in his chest down the streets, he just hopes the bond between Allison and him is working properly and not taking him to a trap or anything. Damn he should have bring a knife or anything it is a stupid thing to go out in the middle of the night with the town infested with blood thirsty monsters.

He runs as fast as his short legs lets him, he is breathless and still tired after whatever happened to him in the graveyard. With every step the rate of the pulsations of the spark in his chest increase getting harder and harder until…he is close enough to the woods line… of course whatever shit happens in the town always has something to do with the friggin woods.

He turns left in the last corner and then he gaps.

“What happened to you?” He hears Allison’s voice between sobs staring a woman lying in the middle of the street bathed in blood her left arm missing.

“He…he…help” The lady says with her eyes flying and her body starting to stir.

“Allison you need to get out of here” Scott says and Stiles finds his best friend staring into the darkness. If he were in his wolf form the hair in his pelt would be bristling right now…he is watching something…but what?

“What happened here?” Stiles says joining the girl and starting to take off his shirt to improvise a tourniquet.

“I…don’t know….I don’t….know” Allison says with shaky voice. Her eyes are wide open with tears coming out of them as rivers. Stiles doesn’t need to concentrate in their bond to know what she feels… she thinks the woman is going to die.

“We need to get her out of here”

“Call…call…an ambulance” Allison whimpers.

Stiles shoves his hands in his pockets…damn he didn’t bring his phone.

“Help…Help!” Stiles yells in the empty street and then they both feel it.

He knows they both did it, because at the same time Allison and him rise their heads toward the dark corner ahead of them and a jolt of electricity and chill make them shudder, an enormous shape comes out of the darkness and a deafening snarl makes them kneel on the floor and cover their ears.

“Run!” A familiar voice yells at them.

Stiles cranes his neck and spots Derek approaching them at high speed and lumbering over the creature. With a simple swing of an arm it throws Derek away sending him flying backward and knocking the back of his head against the pavement.

“Derek!” Stiles yells with terror but another snarl makes him turn his head back to the front and then the lights baths the creature and they see it for the first time.

It is ten feet tall maybe a little more. It has a black furred body, it is standing on its hind legs but it isn’t a werewolf its head flat and round. The ears are like bats’ wings. It has a snout flat and cylindrical like a pig’s, its claws are shorter than a werewolves but they look sharper as their fanged mouth. The only thing it has in common with a werewolf is the glowing eyes but where the firsts’ are round this things’ are slanted its pupils shrink before Stiles’ eye as the light hits them as a cat’s eyes.

Stiles and Allison stay right there staring at it when it suddenly starts craning its neck out of control following its enormous snout as if it was catching and scent and then its evil eyes fix on them. Stiles freezes and his hands starts shaking. He wants to scream to yell Allison to runaway but…he paralyzed in fear he can’t move or speak he is terrified he wants to cry, it is like living a real nightmare.

“Look out!” He hears Scott’s voice at his back and suddenly Stiles and Allison are flying to their left being hauled by two large shapes.

“Are you alright monkey?” Isaac’s voice says chivalrously as the light blue-eyed werewolf grins at him.

“We got right at time” Jackson says breathless staring at the thing as amazed as Allison and Stiles were just seconds ago.

“What the hell is that?” Isaac gaps looking at it the way Stiles probably looked at them when he found out they were werewolves.

“I was hoping you would tell me” Stiles replies feeling its eyes drilling him.

The thing is standing there motionless almost as if it is thinking its next move, it tries to crane its neck to other direction but its nose keeps drawing it toward them.

“We need to finish it before it kills someone” Jackson mutters.

“Too late” Allison replies bitterly staring at the lifeless body of the woman with one arm sprawled in the middle of the street.

The monster lets out another snarl and its body whirls too quickly to its shape it looks right into Stiles eyes and it lumbers. Jackson and Isaac run to meet it but with simple swims of its arms the wolves are pushed aside as dummy dolls.

“Isaac! Jackson!” Allison and Stiles cried at unison as they step back. Stiles is feeling his heartbeat on his ears, his hands are trembling so hard he can’t find Allison’s. They need to do something.

The beast is getting closer and closer, it doesn’t matter how far they are of it. It will be over them within seconds. Stiles closes his eyes and waits for the strike of it claws.

“Scott!” He hear Allison crying. Stiles opens his eyes and see the tip of bloody razor like claws coming out from the back of his best friend body while he steps in the middle of the monster and them.

“Scott!” He calls him too.

“Get the hell out of here!” Derek growls and Stiles feels a pull from the back of the collar of his shirt. Derek his carrying him and Allison at high speed and putting them out of the sight of the beast.

“Scott!” Allison yells hysterically and then the beast throws the body away.

“We’ll stop it, but you need to get out of here, understood?” Derek says as he puts Allison and Stiles aside. Stiles looks up and his blazing and cold eyes and he sees the doubt leaping through them.

“You don’t give orders” Allison roars as she quickly stands up and stars running toward Scott.

“Jackson! Isaac!” Derek growls.

Stiles stands, the beast is craning is neck toward Allison now, he can see the saliva flowing down with anticipation. Then it quickly turns toward Stiles and then back to Allison almost as if couldn’t chose one.

Jackson and Isaac come from its back and grab his arms and it starts revolving in all directions as trying to take them off. Derek charges toward it.

“Stiles take Allison and runaway!” He orders but once more but Allison can’t do it he can’t just leave this way.

Derek punches the beast in the stomach and nothing happens it is…almost as if it is made of the starkest rock on earth, it doesn’t moan or anything it didn’t feel anything at all.

Stiles jerks up, this is not okay…no…no…no “Allison he yells as he runs toward the girl and Scott who is unconscious”

The best sends flying Isaac and Jackson again and kicks Derek in the chest making him fall on his back feet away from him.

“Allison” Stiles repeats but she isn’t paying attention she is stunned grabbing Scott’s body and sobbing in silence “He is not dead…he’ll heal I promise” He tries to calm her.

“Stiles run!” Derek says in a moan.

Stiles cranes his neck again the beast is at the other side of the street with its angry eyes fixed on them again, it is them…it is all it has wanted from the begging, their scent… they need to go…but he can’t leave, Derek and the rest are hurt Scott is unconscious if they live the others will die…he needs to do something but what? He is just a stupid boy who doesn’t know how to bind or use a gun, he doesn’t have claws he….they…will die.

The beast lumbers over them Allison and him stared at it with terror as it rises a large and bold arm and swims it toward them.

The blood is everywhere.

 


	19. ABOMINATION

IV

#  **ABOMINATION**

 

It is a mayhem. She can’t believe that no one called her before, she knows she is very tired and that she isn’t on night guard but… This is insane, it doesn’t matter how large the police forces are, they need as many active members as possible, or else…Things might come out of control.

She looks at her left, there is party of nurses running toward her, one of them is covered in blood, her face is crisped in an awful grimace, Melissa can’t tell what she sees on it, is it pain? Terror? She isn’t sure what happened to the woman but a single sight of her wounded arm and the expression in her face makes her shiver. Something is seriously wrong with all this.

She eyes two of her partners at the other side of the hallway helping a couple of terrified patients to walk out of the room. Her heart gives a lurch, she is alone by now, she must identify the threat behind those doors, but after all the things she has seen the last months, after the things she have done…She…. Doesn’t feel right, what if it is Scott? What if he became a monster?

She has no choice, it is her duty to walk there and put an end to whatever is going on.

Melissa sucks a breath and tighten the hold of her gun to stop her hands from shaking. She walks a couple of steps and slightly opens the double doors crowned with a big a red sign that reads _intensive care_. Everyone is counting on her, the rest of the patients retained inside are expecting for answers.

She steps ahead and the door are kicked out open hitting her in the forehead.

In front of her a couple of men come out carrying a woman with a large gash in one arm, she looks up and recognize the green eyes that stare back at her in amazement.

Her heart sinks and she is washed by a wave of relief.

“Simon!” She hears herself say wishing she could throw her arms to his neck, but she is an officer and she must behave accordingly.

“Stay out of there Mel” He orders.

She can see the sweat on his forehead, his face is red with all the effort is taking him help the other doctor to carry the woman out of the intensive care aisle, his body shakes but yet there is determination in his eyes, she isn’t sure of what he saw inside but she knows he won’t let that anything happen to the people he swore to protect.

Melissa turns on her heels and faces the door one last time. She is afraid, she doesn’t know what she is going to find at the other side of that door, she knows what longshot said about the town being taken by an army of hell, but she doesn’t care, she is an officer and this is her duty.

She opens the door and gets in ignoring Simon’s yells at her back.

…….

The feet move swiftly, she hears the crunching of the wood beneath them while Stiles drags her inside his home. They turn on a light and she becomes blind for a couple of seconds. When her eyes adjust she see the blurry shapes running in all directions across the living room carrying tables, flashlights, and cloths.

She doesn’t get what is going on, she can’t get any of the words they are saying, she just sees how Stiles lips move quickly how tensed his expression is and the crimson of his face…It doesn’t have anything to do with how upset he is, he is covered from top to bottom with a sticky and coppery liquid, as Allison, he is covered in blood.

He is yelling, Jackson and Isaac seem pretty distressed too. But what is going on? Her head aches so badly, and her eyes are still cloudy. She tries to recall what happened…They were in the floor and…She was holding…Scott! Scott is hurt!

“No!” She shrills when they try to take Scott’s limp body away from her grasp. “Don’t touch him!”

“Allison, what the hell you think you’re doing?” Roars Stiles.

She snaps and suddenly all the dizziness is washed away. She glances down, her nails are dug into Scott’s skin while Isaac and Jackson try to take him.

“Don’t touching!” She repeats and then she notices how upset she is. She tastes the tears in her mouth mixed with the blood of the creature who hurt the boy she once loved.

“He’s going to be alright” Jackson assured.

“This is, insane, we should be at Deaton’s” Isaac grunts.

Allison makes an effort to recall and finally she sees everything clear in her mind. Scott was stabbed by that scary creature in the middle of an empty street, there was also a woman lying in the floor with her arm tore apart…She died in Allison’s arms.

She shudders.

“Allison,” Stiles starts with a reassurance voice though she can feel that he is about to lose it just as she did.

“He can’t die” She says with hitched breath.

“He won’t” Stiles assures. “But you need to let go”

“Why…why he isn’t healing? He is a werewolf! He should be healing!” She can’t believe what she is saying. She told Scott to stay away from her, she threatened with killing him. She thought she hated him but… Here she is… Acting like a stubborn kid, afraid of letting him go to die.

“We don’t know” She hears the deep voice of Derek Hale and her blood runs cold. It is all his fault, he turned Scott into a monster! If he wouldn’t have done that, Scott wouldn’t be dying now! It is always him! Every time something awful happens in her life somehow Derek Hale is related to it.

Stiles hastily and yet gently takes Allison’s hands with his and let them go from Scott’s body. She takes a deep breath and staggers to stand up and let them help Scott. She can’t believe all the things that have happened in matter of hours.

…….

That foul stench… If he could only take a bath, if he is disgusted by the way he smells he doesn’t want to imagine how it must be for the werewolves standing in his living room.

Derek won’t stop looking at him with that grimace in his face, and he would like to say something snarky to shut whatever is going through his shaggy mind, but… Stiles doesn’t have time for that, he is doing his best to keep the pieces of himself together and do something.

He can’t afford to lose it the way Allison did, or else Scott will die. He heard it from Derek’s lips as soon as the beast inexplicably exploded bathing them in blood. He doesn’t know what is going on to Scott.

“What are we going to do?” Isaac hurries to say when Jackson and he place Scott’s body in top of the table.

“I’m not sure” Derek admits setting his jaw.

“He might be poisoned” Jackson suggests.

“He might,” Derek nods. “But it is unlikely, did you see that thing? It isn’t designed to poison its victim and wait for it to die. It is all muscle and we weren’t able to hurt it. I don’t think he poisoned”

“Then, what’s wrong with him?” Stiles demands pressing his lips in a thin line. What is the porpoise of this nonsense talk? His best friend is dying in that table and he isn’t even brave enough to take a look at him.

“I don’t know” Derek replies with a bitter smile. “But there must be something you can do”

Stiles steps back startled as his heart starts throbbing and his bottom lip trembling, what can he do? He is no one. Derek can’t be seriously suggesting that he can do something about it. God! Maybe Isaac is right and they should be on their way to Deaton’s. But Stiles can’t ask him help, not after he found that Dr. D could have saved his mom, not after he let Jackson to become a werewolf just because he shouldn’t interfere unless it was written in the wind or whatever! Deaton is a motherfucking selfish and Stiles can’t trust him, maybe if he takes Scott to him he will help by turning him into a were-donkey or something like it.

“You can’t be serious,” Stiles says starting to lose his hope. “I thought you would know what do to do. You can’t count on me on this…I…I”

Stiles’ breathing hitches, now the world is spinning before him and his mind is starting to get cloudy. Cries and yells is all he can her now. It hurts, he can see with the corner of his eyes Derek leaning toward him and he feels his arms catching him before he falls.

“I can’t do this” He murmurs when he is a little calmer. “How am I going to know what to do?”

“Maybe…Maybe…He is knocked out” Allison’s voice says now next to him.

Stiles looks at his right where the girl is standing looking more lucid now though what she just said doesn’t make any….

They’re eyes meet and the spark flutters inside Stiles’ chest. He think he gets what she is…

“That’s kind of obvious” Isaac points out sarcastically and sweeps the air above Scott win his arm.

Stiles glances down instinctively being struck by the hard reality. His best friend’s olive skin is now so pale that it almost gets blended with the cloth where he is lying. His eyes are closed and surrounded by dark and deep circles. His lips are parted and almost purple blue, but the hardest thing is the deep wound in his chest, where the blood keeps pouring, being the only sign that tells them that he’s still alive.

“She’s right” Stiles mutters more to himself than them and quickly touches Scott’s wrist looking for his heartbeat.

“What’s going on?” Derek asks staring at him confused.

“He is about to get into cardiac arrest!” Stiles lets out starting to feel dizzy.

“Your dad is a doctor! There must be something here!” Allison cries.

Her words makes Stiles jolt…She is right! Her dad has….Epinephrine in the suitcase upstairs.

“I know what to do” He assures running to the other side of the room to start climbing the stairs.

“What is going on?” He hears Jackson say.

“Is the inner wolf!” Stiles yells while he runs to the door next to his dad’s room. The place he was used to visit when he was having sleeping issues, when he thought that he was becoming insane and needed an escape from his depression.

Unfortunately his dad recalled that episode of his life well enough too, because there is a big locker on the door.

 _Shit!_ He thinks. Where is the key? Probably on his dad chain! What is he going to do know?

 _Please! Please!_ He thinks holding the locker and then recalls. There are three healthy werewolves downstairs they might be able to open a single…

He hears a click and quickly cranes his neck to his right…The lock is open! The lock is open! But…how…?

He shakes his head, he has no time to think about the crazy things that happen around him. He opens the door and takes the suitcase downstairs.

“Are you sure about this?” Derek asks putting a hand on Stiles chest and looking at him straight in the eyes.

Stiles’ heart shudders but he doesn’t step back and instead he nods, he has to be sure, he must be sure or else…

“What are you going to do?” Isaac asks frowning as Stiles opens the suitcase and starts rummaging among the phials looking for the one labeled as Epinephrine.

“Is the inner wolf,” Allison repeats, Stiles quickly glances at her and she looks a little calmer now, she believes what she is saying. “He is not a bipedalist, even if he has control, the boy and the beast are two different things” She explains.

Stiles takes the syringe with shaking hands and nodes while starts filling it with the drug. “I read about it online a couple of months ago, a Fourer isn’t like the rest. It is a vulnerable state. Wildlings are more beast than human, while bipedalist are human and beast at the same time, but the Fourer state is a disjunction, even when they can control themselves in that form it is like two living things inside a body”

He glances down and starts looking for an vein which isn’t hard actually, considering how pale Scott is right now, if his dad could only see him right now… Both his dad and his mom always thought he could be a doctor and now… Here he is.

“He can’t heal because the wolf inside him is knocked out” Allison says and his side and he can tell that even though both of them are unsure about their words something is telling them in their insides to do it.

“We’re going to wake him up,” Stiles affirms. “Grab him”

Allison curls her fingers around Stiles’ hand and together they dig the needle’s head into Scott’s arm.

…….

It is like a horror movie, the whole intensive care pavement is dark. There is only one light in the middle of the long corridor hovering on one end flickering with every step Melissa takes. On the far corner she can see a large dark stain in the wall spattering some torn poster beneath which lies a body.

Melissa aims with her gun at all sides and when she makes sure there isn’t anyone else on side she hurries to approach the person on the floor.

She addresses the old man lying on the floor, his eyes are closed but she can see he still breathing. His robes are all bloody and torn, she can’t see the exact spot of the wound but she can figure out it must be big because of the state in which he is. She quickly runs a hand under his left arm to pull him up when she hears steps at her back.

“Help please” Says a woman’s voice.

Hastily she let go the man and holds her gun up as she turns aiming at the newcomer.

She is surrounded by ten people, most of them are bloody and many are being carried by others, they are all wearing white robes bathed in the same gluey and reeky liquid.

“What happened here?” She asks sheathing her gun in her belt to approach the terrified crowd.

They step back frightened.

“It’s alright I won’t hurt you” She assures trying to stay calm, though deep inside she is about to lose it. She is as scared at them, this whole scene reminds her of those videogames she forbid Scott and Stiles play when they were younger.

“He…tried…to kill us” Stutters the woman that heads the group.

“Who?” Melissa asks frowning.

“The man they brought yelling, he went out of control. He killed a nurse! He killed her!”

“I saw her on my way here, she is hurt, but she will be alright” She assures.

The patients exchange looks. “Please you have to help us” The woman begs with hitched breath. Melissa can see now the glistening tears in her shuddering face.

“Help me take him” She orders kneeling next to the unconscious man.

The woman leans and with her help they manage to haul him up beneath their shoulders.

Melissa makes sure of her hold in the man’s arm and slowly she starts stepping back to the entrance.

The crowd starts following her and then someone cries.

Melissa’s heart skips a beat. She curses in her insides as she releases the man’s weight all over the woman’s back as the stampede of the rest of the patients disorients her. “Take him out!” She yells at the woman. “Someone help her!” She orders as she spins gripping tight her gun to the other side of the room where a shadow just shifted.

She steps back unwillingly and quickly tilts her face to watch the woman being helped by a boy to carry the man out.

She hear a disturbing screech and a shiver runs down her body. The hairs in the back of her neck stir and she takes a deep breath, scanning the shadows meticulously.

A shadow shifts again and before she has time to react there is a red and white shape dashing toward her.

Mellissa recoils afraid of shooting, she stumbles with something and hits the ground with the back of her head. An intense pain blinds her for a couple of seconds as she rolls on her back to stand up. She look both sides, the patients made to the entrance.

She hears a high pitched moan and she spins.

There is a young man in front of her, well, not exactly a man, he must be a werewolf because…Because his left arm is coated in brown fur and there are sharp and large claws at the end of his red stained fingers.

“Stay…stay right there” She says aiming at his head. At least it isn’t her son.

“I need help please” The man weeps.

Melissa chews her bottom lip hoping her heart could stop throbbing this hard, is she going to die? Is this the way it all ends?

“Help…?” She hairs herself say. “You murdered people!” She yells with hatred.

“I didn’t mean to, please you have to believe me” He pleads stepping ahead.

Melissa steps back. “What happens to your arm?” She says pointing at it with her gun.

“I don’t know…I was jogging in the park and then…”

“Then what?”

“Something bit me” He cries falling on his needs.

“Are you…?”

“Stay away!” He suddenly roars squirming on the floor.

“Hey! What bit you? Tell me!” She damns running toward him, but a swing of the sharp clawed arm makes her think twice.

“I don’t know! It was dark! I don’t know!” The man yelps shaking out of control on the ground.

Her heart sinks and she runs toward him.

“Melissa! Stay away from him!” She hears Simon’s voice at her back.

She cranes her neck toward her best friend at the moment she hears a sucking sound at her back.

She spins. The man is standing still behind her, she aims as she stares amazed how his right eye slowly starts glowing bright red.

The man launches himself toward her. She freezes astonished for what she is watching, it is ten times scarier than the day she discovered the disturbing truth about her son, she is helpless she is going to die.

“Melissa!” Simon cries. His hand takes her by the elbow. Mellissa spins in the air being pulled by Simon’s arms to his chest as he falls on his back and she lands on top of him.

“Are you okay?” He says with shaking voice as both of them stand and crane their necks at the spot where she was standing seconds ago waiting for the slash of the death.

The man is standing there now, staring at them, his red eye came back to his other one’s brown. “Help….me” He mutters falling on his knees and then he bursts.

There is only blood in the place where the beast-man was standing seconds ago.

…….

He is burning! All his body is in pain, he can feel it, the claws piercing his skin, breaking his ribs, he is…

He jolts swaying his arms in all directions. He hears muffled cries and conversations, there is people all around him. They are retaining him. He wants to be free!

 _Let me go_ He thinks, looking in all directions at the blurry silhouettes than hastily move around him. His head is aching, almost as badly as his chest, though the second is decreasing slowly, while the first keeps getting more and more intense as the light in the top of his head keeps burning his pupils.

“Let me go!” He begs, no, he growls in a guttural sound that comes out of the back of his throat.

He can feel the heat spreading all around his body, and even though he can focus his eyes, he gets a sigh of his naked arms slowly covering in black shag.

He opens his mouth again to tell them to release him, but aside the unintelligible for his own ears, he can’t control his mouth anymore, it is gaping, no, stretching, he can feel his bones enlarging inside his mouth and his head and limps. He stirs and shakes trying to break free it is so painful. Tears climb to his eyes and he just wants to be free, why they don’t want to set him free? What is happening to him?

“He is shifting” A distant but familiar voice says and he jerks his head toward it.

“Stiles, I think he recognizes you” _She_ says, he can taste her grief, it hovers in the air, mixed it a metallic and reeking smell that is attached at her usual and beautiful scent, that saddening, scaring and beautiful aroma that pulls him in and out at the same time. He wants her, he craves for her and the same time he wants to run, she is trouble, she is death made a living thing, she wild and scary and she is all he has ever needed in his life.

“All…” He roars, “All…” Is not him, it is something inside him, he is not truly speaking he is growling like a beast.

“Allison” He says gently and suddenly all the struggle comes to a violent halt.

 _Scott_ , his name is Scott, he was hurt, the last thing he recalls is that he was scared for them, they were in danger and he needed to protect them, his treasures the persons he loved aside from his mother, they were in trouble and he had to do something.

Scott blinks twice and bit a bit the whole room starts taking form in front of him. He is laying in a stark bed, no, he is in a table inside Stiles’ grandparents living room, he recognize the furniture and the olive painted walls, he recalls running down those stairs, he was a kid, he was boy…He is alive.

He sits up straight hauling a big haste of fresh air inside his lungs. He feels a painful shot in his chest and breaths out and in rapidly being unable to hold a breath long enough to satisfy his lungs.

He looks around.

“You’re alive” Says Derek in amazement then he cranes his neck toward Allison and then Stiles looking at them openmouthed.

“What happened?” He hears himself ask in a scrappy voice.

“You…” Allison starts.

Scott looks at her, she is bathed in blood and tears and now he notices her hand holding his, a warm and painful feeling takes him down, how…Why is she so upset? What happened?

“Did someone died?” He says with hitched breath. “Are Jackson and Isaac again?”

“Here we are” Says Isaac’s familiar voice a now Scott notices their hands holding his arms on each side of his body.

“You’re fine buddy” Jackson says happily patting him in the back. “That’s to this two” He adds pointing at Stiles and Allison.

Stiles and Allison? What they could have possibly done?

And then the monster comes to his mind, the mutant werewolf that attacked them. “Derek, was that the Fenrir? Did you find him?” He asks hastily.

Derek shakes his head. “I don’t know what that thing was” His pack leader admits embarrassed.    

“Yeah what happened?” Isaac says thoughtfully looking at Derek as Scott starts to gain some strength and sits straighter. “We though you would be dead by now”

“What?” Stiles says in astonishment.

And Scott stares at his best friend, he was going to die and Allison two, and he couldn’t do anything to protect them because he is weak, because he can become a bipedalist, he almost lost them both at the same time tonight.

“Derek was planning to put an end to this for himself” Jackson explains.

“He what?” Stiles says shocked.

“That’s none of his business” Derek grunts glowering at Jackson.

“Are…you insa…?” Stiles starts and something bitter and wild burns inside Scott, why? Why he has to be so stubborn? Why he had to go there?

“This is all your fault!” He roars staring at his friend.

Stiles quickly cranes his neck toward him.

“Scott” Allison starts.

He looks at her and tries to calm himself but he can’t, he so mad… “Allison I told you to come back home!” He says angrily.

“I know but…” She tries to say biting her lip but Scott doesn’t let her continue. He promised Mr. Argent he would look out after her, he must be with her always but… Stiles…

“This is all your fault Stiles!” He yells tearing his throat. “What the hell where you doing there?”

Stiles stares at him in blank, all bathed in blood, now he is shaking, shaking like a scared stupid boy who used to hide from the bullies at middle school…Stupid…Stupid…Stupid Stiles, why? Why he had to be there? He could have died.

“Scott!”

“Don’t say anything” Scott mutters feeling the tears climbing to his eyes, this is killing him, but this night would have ended in a terrible way if Allison or Stiles… “You went there! Even when you knew you couldn’t stand a chance, because…Because you’re just a stupid _human_ , you’re just a piece of shit who wants to be part of this because you think it is a game, but it isn’t”

“Scott…” Allison mutters.

“You did this to me Stiles! I almost die because I was busy trying to keep you’re sorry ass safe, when you shouldn’t have been there in the first place! This is all your fault!”

Stiles shakes his head as he steps back, and he can see it, he’s blinking to hold his tears back. Scott feels a pang in the chest but it is too late to recoil, he needs to be done with this, he can’t be in two places in the same time, the best for Stiles… Is to stay out of all this, he couldn’t bear…

“I bet you attracted that thing with your stupid stench of death, you’re the doom made human, Stiles, stay away from me you hear me? Stay away, I don’t wanna anything to do with you anymore, we’re done”

Stiles gaps slowly and then he nods. “Alright” He says with shaky voice and hands. “I won’t bother you ever again, I’m sorry for being a _human_ who thought he help”

Stiles stepped back slowly and then walked out from the front door.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jackson roars.

“He saved your life” Derek grunts staring at Scott with repulsive look in his eyes but then his expression shifts. He understands now. No one could had Scott right now more than himself, but…It was the best thing to do.

“Leave him Alone!” Allison shrieks pushing Derek aside with one arm at the time the alpha’s leather jacket spontaneously burst in flames.

Amazed, Scott and the rest stare at Derek as he quickly takes off his jacket and steps on it repeatedly until the flames fade.

“Fucking binders” He hisses putting on his jacket back and striding to the door without saying anything else.

“Allison…” Scott mutters openmouthed. “How did you do that?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean… Though I don’t mind it happened, this is all his fault! Every…” Her voice trails off. “You almost died Scott” She lets out in a soft and pasty whimper.

Scott looks at her eyes as she falls on his chest, he is still aching but it isn’t as bad as when he woke up, though he is pretty sure his wound is still open, it will heal in matter of days.

“I’m okay now” He assures with a sad grin. “Thanks to you” He mutters on her ear as he plays with the curls of her dark hair.

…….

He sits in the steps of the veranda with his eyes pressed shut, he is so hurt right now. He can’t believe Scott said those words to him and at the same time, he understands. Scott is right, he is a threat. He and his weird scent that attracts death and bad things, he is for sure the main reason that thing showed up in the town in the first place.

Gosh he wishes he has a cigarette right now! He doesn’t smoke though… Once he heard about how it was good to erase all the bad thoughts and pain out of the mind at least for a couple of seconds. He reminds the first time he tried it so many years ago in middle school, he is not sure about what happened that afternoon but he was so upset about something, and Scott and him sat in the old mill with a bottle of vodka on a cold winter night, sharing stories and sips until… Until his best friend tugged out the box from his pockets and told him how good it could be to calm his nerves. Stiles hesitated considering how bad is to consume cigarettes to not mention that they both were thirteen by then, his dad would have killed them if he found out about it.

And yet he tried, and chocked with it. It was disgusting and he was surrounded by this foul scent that didn’t left until hours away, he thanks God his mom never knew about that.

And yet here he is, wishing he has something to keep his mind busy and ease the lump on his throat. Why he has to be so emotional? He has been through worst things but… It is killing him, the way Scott looked at him while he said all those stuffs, he really hates him. He hates Stiles the same way Derek….

He hears steps. He cranes his neck to his left and guess who is standing next to him.

Stiles just ignores Derek and stares at the street.

“Kicked out of your own house. That is knew” Derek says with a snarky voice. Of course the whole situation amuses him, he is a dick. Stiles couldn’t expect less from him.

He isn’t the mood to listen his sassy ass so he just pretends he isn’t there.

“You should take a bath by the way” Derek adds sitting next to him.

“I know my soul stinks to death, you don’t need to remind it to me every two seconds” Stiles replies bitterly.

“I’m not talking about your scent,” Derek explains sternly with his eyes fixed in the street. “You’re bathed in blood, I’m pretty sure if your neighbors see you this way they will freak out and call the police”

The last thing he needs right now.

“I guess I’ll wait until Scott gets home” Stiles says absently looking at his best friend’s despiteful glare in his mind over and over again.

“I don’t think he should move, at least for tonight, his wound isn’t healing as it should, he is better but he might be still in danger, he needs someone to look out after him”

Why he is saying all this stuffs?

“You should go to the vet to check out your ears because if you don’t hear well Scott doesn’t want to do anything with me anymore, he hates me” He snaps biting his bottom lip.

Derek snorts wryly.

“I’m happy you find it funny” He grunts balling his fists.

“He doesn’t hate you” Derek affirms shaking his head slightly.

“You heard him! All this crap is my fault! And he is right…Every time that something happens in this…” He starts rambling shaking his head and hating himself for the lump that is climbing to his throat again.

“Hey!” Derek says angrily “Hey!” He repeats taking Stiles by the chin with his thumb and index finger to force him to stop shaking and look at him. “Look at me” He orders as soon as Stiles glances down.

Stiles looks up and meets his eyes with the werewolf’s shining blue ones. He can smell his fear, his sadness and listen how fast his heart is beating right now, he feels so exposed and angry. He wants to look away but he can’t move. “What do you want?”

“You did well tonight” Derek mutters softly. “You saved his life and that’s all what matters”

He pulls Stiles’ chin up and down forcing him to nod. He can be such jerk sometimes, what the hell he things he is doing?

“I didn’t…” He starts.

“Say it” Derek orders.

Stiles gives up. “I did well tonight”

Derek releases him and sighs. “You know that it was all crap don’t you?” Says as he shifts on his seat and stares at the sky, at the pale and ghostly crescent moon that hovers on top of them.

Stiles shakes his head. “What do you mean?”

“The things Scott said”

Stiles shakes his head. “It wasn’t bullshit, he said it because he means them”

Derek snorts. “And I thought you were the smartest person I’ve ever seen” Says chuckling.

Stiles look at the dimples in his lopsided grin and blushes, does he really thinks that?

“He just said that because he wants to keep you safe”

“That’s bullshit, he didn’t say anything about…”

“Of course he didn’t say them aloud, but that was what he meant, he is afraid Stiles”

 _Stiles_ Again his name sounds weird to his own ears when Derek says it.

“He doesn’t want to get hurt, that’s why he said all those things, because he cares so much about you and he doesn’t want to lose you, you should listen to him, go away, find a safe place and live, and that’s all he wants” The werewolf mutters staring at Stiles with some… sadness in his eyes.

“I can’t go” Stiles affirms. “Not when people is dying, I need to do something about it”

“What are you going to do? Kill a thousand werewolves the same way you killed that thing?” Derek grunts.

“I didn’t kill that thing” He affirms blushing.

“You didn’t?” Derek looks at him confused. “But them…?” He shakes his head. “Never mind. That is just another reason for you to go, you are defenseless. We can’t protect you and ourselves at the same time”

“I don’t asking you to protect me” Stiles replies sharply suddenly feeling an urgency to punch the cocky wolf’s face.

“Why? Why you have to be so stubborn? Why you can’t admit that you’re terrified? Why you keep trying to play the hero?” Derek growls, looking at stiles straight in the eye, his fiery blue eyes glowing intensely as he glares at him.

Stiles scoffs. “Excuse me? Who’s playing the hero? What the hell were you thinking going after the Fenrir all by yourself?” Stiles roars shaking with fury. “You could have died!”

“That’s none of your business!”

“You have to stop with crap Derek!” Stiles mutters with despise. “Stop with the guilt, stop pretending you aren’t scared, stop giving such small importance at your life”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about” Derek warns him, showing his pointy and sharp fangs beneath his upper lip, but Stiles ignores him. “You don’t know what is like to be cursed”

 _Are you fucking kidding me?_ Stiles thinks with anger.

“I know everything about your so called curse, and guess what? It is all bullshit, just because you were the seventh child doesn’t mean anything, it is just a fairy tale,”

He knows he stepped over the line, and he knows that Derek is probably going to crunch his skull against his own house’s façade but he is done with this shit and broody wolf’s self-pity party. But Derek doesn’t react as he expected, instead he just glances down.

“They are all dead” Derek whispers with longing. “Because of me”

“It is not your….”

“All the people I cared about, is gone, even the people others loved, like your friend’s mother, I did that”

Damn! A pang stabs Stiles in his chest after hearing those words, but it is a lie! They lied to him! They manipulated him, God! If he could only say that to him, he would have such terrible idea of himself.

“You have people who cares about you,” The werewolf admits. “That’s why you have to go away and live, because Scott would be hurt if anything happens to you”

“That’s not…”

“I have no one”

Something cold and sharp comes through Stiles chest and his heart skips a beat, he can’t believe he is seeing this side of Derek, so vulnerable, so…Human, not even when he was about to die because of the venom Stiles saw him in such state.

“You’re wrong” Stiles whispers lowering his glance. “There’s people who cares about you”

Derek snorts. “Yeah? Who?” He arches a brow.

“Scott…He…”

“He’s just helping me so he can kill me in the end and release himself from the curse”

Stiles rolls his eyes, he can’t seriously believe this shit. “Isaac…”

“Can’t wait for me to die so he becomes the new pack leader”

“You’re wrong, he and Scott and Jackson…”

“Jackson doesn’t want to help me, he just wants revenge from the people who hurt his girlfriend”

Does he? Stiles is in a dead end, he doesn’t have more names, damn it isn’t his fault Derek is such antisocial wolf, but there is people, there is people who cares about Derek he is sure of it.

“I…” He starts with shaky voice and wobbling lips.

Derek cranes his neck toward him.

“I…I…” He balls his hands again, he is not sure what…

“Admiring the stars uh? They look so lovely tonight” A voice suddenly says.

Stiles’ heart gives a lurch and he shifts on his seat startled. As he spots the man walking toward them from the street, he can swear there was no one in there just seconds ago, how did he? “Dr. D, what are you doing here?” He says shocked.

“That’s funny” The man replies staring at him with a blank expression. “I hoped you knew the answer to that question”

…….

In matter of seconds they are surrounded by the rest of Mellissa’s unit, she knows they were busy taking the people of the hospital to a safe zone but she almost died! They should have moved faster. Thank god Simon showed up in the right moment.

“Are you okay?” He asks with a grin though she can see he is about to have crisis, she is not sure which one of them is shaking harder, they are attached to each other in a strong embrace.

She owes him her life. “Thank you” She mutters embarrassed.

“It’s okay, it was the least I could do for such brave companion” He manages to smirk to her in a reassuring way.

She is so happy he is here. She blushes.

“Damn! What happened here?” Asks Taylor sweeping the room with his gun.

Mellissa cranes her neck toward him. “I’m not sure” She says still terrified.

Simon and her are covered in that man’s blood, was he? What was he?

“Are you hurt?” A woman’s voice says suddenly and Mellissa snaps back to reality.

She looks up and she finds a nurse kneeling next to them. She is checking their bodies trying to find the origin of the blood.

Simon shakes his head. “We’re fin Lucy, the blood isn’t ours”

“What happened here?” Lucy says with shaky voice staring at the scene terrorized.

“We’re not sure,” Simon mutters. “This man… I can swear he had a paw, and then, he exploded, like…Like the man from the other day”

“Dr. Petersen…What is going on? I haven’t heard of anything like it before” Lucy says shrugging.

“Me neither” He admits. “Maybe, it is a new drug I don’t know”

“He was a monster” Another nurse adds joining them. “I saw him, he was a creature of hell. It was so scary”

“Don’t be silly, there must be an explanation for all this” Simon assures.

Mellissa recalls it now, he said he was bitten, he said he was jogging, just jogging, and he looked so healthy, it wasn’t like the type of person who do drugs, there is no mistake, this is somehow related to longshot and Scott and everything, but she is afraid of saying something, Simon might think she is insane.

“Are you alright?” He asks looking at her puzzled.

She nods, though she knows he knows she is not right at all.

The nurses help them stand and they start walking slowly out of the intensive care aisle, what…what will happen to the patients of this area? They are in danger.

She eyes a couple of men and a woman wearing white jumpsuits, as soon as she spots them their eyes fix on Simon and her.

“Excuse me” Says the woman staring straight at her, there is an odd accent in her voice. She doesn’t look like someone from the town. “May I ask you a few questions?”

Mellissa frowns.

“Who are you what is going on?” Simon asks staring at the woman with mistrust.

“My name is Julie Orleans, I work in the biological threats control team and I need you to have a few words with both of us”

“But…”Melissa starts frightened. “What is going on?” She cries as one of the man who accompany Julie takes her by an arm and takes her away from Simon to lead her to another room. “Simon!”

The other man takes Simon and starts taking him with him.

Mellissa pushes and tries to break free.

“Mel!” Simon yells trying to break free too. “Biological threats? What are you talking about?”

“It is a common procedure, there is nothing to worry about” Julie says sternly without looking at any of them. “We are just going to make sure none of you is infected”

 _Infected_ Mellissa thinks being hit by a wave of emotions, what is this woman talking about?

“A virus? Do you really think this is a virus?” Simon stopping short.

“We are not sure yet, but there is a possibility, this might be the result of a terrorist attack, all possibilities must be addressed. Beacon Hills is being put on quarantine as he speak, but there is nothing to worry about”

A virus? Quarantine? _What the hell is going on?_

…….

“May I come in?” Dr. D asks sternly.

Stiles swallows hard, what does he means by _“I hoped you knew the answer to that question”_? What is going on?

He nods and opens the front door for the man.

Dr. D steps inside and quickly all the eyes fall upon Stiles and him. All the eyes except Scott’s, who is lying on the table again.

“Is he dead?” The man asks arching a brow and then Stiles gets it.

“You don’t know?” He asks shocked. “How is this possible? You know everything that happens!” He accuses.

“He is just asleep, he is in a lot of pain, but he is healing” Allison explains drying her eyes with her sleeves.

“You won’t stop surprising me don’t you?” Dr. D chuckles staring at Allison and then at Stiles. “It was foolishness by the way”

“What?” Allison frowns.

“To not take him with me as soon as he got stabbed”

“Stabbed?” Stiles roars. “You knew he was going to be stabbed but weren’t sure if he was going to survive!” He bits his bottom lip. “That’s why I didn’t bring him to you! You and you’re stupid voices! I can’t trust you”

“Here I am” Deaton points out. “It was your duty to bring him to me, so he could heal and be saved”

“Sorry for keeping you waiting!” Stiles grunts.

Derek puts a hand on his arm but Stiles let himself go. “But I have no time for riddles, I’m wasn’t going to beg you to help him! I wasn’t going to allow you to let him die, the same way you did with my mom!”

Everyone cranes their neck toward Stiles. Doctor Deaton seems to have been taken off guard.

“As I said” He starts recovering his usual condescending look. “You won’t stop surprising me kids”

“We’re not kids” Allison adds bitterly.

“You aren’t, I’m sorry” The doctor says nodding at her.

“Deaton…” Derek starts.

“It’s not the moment Derek” The man says quietly. “We were going to have this conversation in a different situation, Scott must be awake. He wants to hear this too”

“But what….?”

“Let Scott rest a couple of days, no school, stress or any kind of activity, when he is feeling better go visit me and we will have our little chat” He smirks.

There he is, he and his stupid mysteries, of course Stiles knows what Derek wants to know, all of them are asking themselves what the hell was that thing and why it died, but again, Deaton won’t give them the answers so easily.

“I’ll see later, good night” The man nods at them and spins opening the door.

When Dr. D is a couple of steps away Stiles runs after him. “Doc Wait”

“Yeah?” The man says arching a brow, though Stiles is pretty sure he knows what Stiles is about to say.

“Is there… Is there chance that we…I mean them… is there a chance that…Are they going to die?”

Dr. D takes a minute to think his answers and then he nods silently. “It is the most powerful possibility”

Stiles’ heart quivers. “But you said, that maybe they could….”

“I’m sorry but, I can’t see how it ends” The man explains pressing his lips in a thin line. “I’ve been trying for years, but I’ve never been able to see the answer, it is almost like even the wind doesn’t know. Things like that one happen when there are decisions that must be made, and their possibilities are endless”

“But if I die now… You think, there is a chance they will win? There must be something I can do”

“I’m sorry” Dr. D shakes his head. “You should have lured death when it was the right moment. Now… There is nothing you can do, even if you die at this very instant, I can’t assure you that they will succeed, whoever has to make a decision is blocking everything for all of us”

“Is there a change to find this person?”

The man shakes his head again. “I don’t know anything about that person or the decision that must take, but I suppose that it will have a big impact it what is about to happen”

“I hope he or she, choose wisely” Stiles mutters with some fear in his voice.

“I hope that too” Dr. D grins and strides off.

…….

The time flies before she has a chance to react, one second she is taking care of Scott and the next his mom shows up at home with nearly a nerve crisis, Allison isn’t sure what happened to the woman but it must have something to do with all the crap that happened that awful night. Since the woman was so upset Allison lied to her and said that Stiles invited her and Scott to sleep over, she isn’t sure if Scott’s mom believed her, but it didn’t matter because she just bathed like three times and went straight to bed.

They agreed to not move Scott that night because it would be stressful for him and even though she knew all the things Scott said to Stiles she thought it would be better if both of them spent the night with him, she can’t tell but she knows they can keep them save. Derek offered to keep an eye on their home until Scott feels better but Allison can’t trust him, not after all the things that have happened, so even though she said nothing she didn’t left Scott’s side the whole night.

When Stiles father went home it was like living all Scott’s mom scene again, the man seemed like living in another world. They ate in silence in kitchen and Allison felt uncomfortable the whole time. Stiles dad looked at her with pity, of course he doesn’t know that her dad is back and she feels sick of everybody thinking of her as a helpless little girl. In other hand, her dad is back and she misses him so much, she wants to talk to him and tell him all the things that happened and ask his advice about it, but he didn’t left a number or any way to contact him. She just hopes that wherever he is, he is alright.

After Stiles’ dad went to bed, the boy brought a sleeping bag and unrolled next to his bed, where Scott was resting. She woke Scott to give him some soup that Stiles prepared for him, and even though he protested for being there she managed to calm him down and made him eat even when he said he didn’t want to. Seriously sometimes Scott could act like a child, a little and… Gorgeous boy who needs her so badly, and it wasn’t until that night that she realized…How much she needed him too.

“But it isn’t something easy actually” Lydia says and Allison jerks up.

“What? What?” She yells looking at both side disoriented.

She is in the classroom behind harassed by a big amount of concerned eyes that stare at her as if she is crazy, and hell it has been crazy. The last three four days she has been at Scott’s home taking care of him, she doesn’t let him do anything, she cooks for him and looks after his wound, it looks pretty good by now! Actually he was so stubborn this morning about coming back school that she finally agreed. She missed a couple of classes but it didn’t matter, she was too scare to leave him alone and come back to his home to find him dead, but he is fine now, and it is all that matters. Those days have been a nightmare but thank God, they are all over.

“Are you okay?” Her friend asks pursing her lips.

“Yeah” I’m sorry, Allison replies flatly. “I just didn’t sleep well, this days, that’s all”

“What? Something happened with your dad? Did they find him? Is he…?”

Allison shakes her head. “There still aren’t news from him” She lies. She trusts Lydia, but she is afraid of who might be eavesdropping their conversation, and she doesn’t want to put her dad at risk by revealing that he is alive and fine.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure he is fine” Her friend says with a smirk.

Allison smiles back at her.

“Now tell me, how is this uncle of yours, I can’t believe they found him, and plus it is amazing how quickly child services gave him your custody”

“Actually he doesn’t have my custody, they just let me live with him because they thought it would be better for me while they keep looking for my dad” She says with an empty grin thought of course she is not going to tell Lydia the truth of how she managed to get rid of the foster house, she doesn’t want the girl to get in trouble.

“What were you saying before? When I was daydreaming?”

Lydia looks up as if trying to find the answer and then she purses her lips. “Oh! I was talking to you about the physics next exam”

“Oh my god! Is it today? I hadn’t study at all”

Lydia shakes her head. “No, don’t worry, is not today, we’re waiting for Mrs. Greenberg, it is weird she is here yet, it’s been fifteen minutes already”

“Wasn’t’ she sick?” Allison says thoughtful.

“Oh yeah!” Lydia nods. “I wonder what happened to her, we have lost a lot of classes. I can’t believe they hadn’t call a sexy substitute for us yet” She says with a mischievous grin.

Allison gives a long side look to her friend and laughs.

The hear steps and crane their necks when one of their class mates Allison thinks her name is Janice walks to the middle of the class and stares at everyone. “Guys, Mrs. Greenberg is coming today either, so we have some free time, because they hadn’t find a new teacher yet”

The class burst in cheers and everybody start to pick up their stuffs.

Allison follows Lydia out of the class while her friend keeps talking about going to the mall later that afternoon when she spots Scott standing next to them.

“Allison do you have a minute?” He asks with a shy smirk. Stupid and charming shy smirk, does he really thinks that she is going to fall for it again?

“What do you want loser?” Lydia snaps glaring at Scott.

“It’s fine Lydia, I’ll be right back” Allison says as she starts following Scott to a more private place.

“What happened?” She whisper when they get inside an empty classroom.

“Have you seen Stiles?” Scott asks arching a brow.

Stiles? Now that she thinks about it…She hadn’t see him since fourth period. She shakes her head.

“Damn where he can be?”

“What? Are you going to Deaton’s today?” She hurries to say, feeling a little more quite now that they’re going to have some answers.

Scott nods.

“Okay let me tell Lydia that….”

“No Allison you can’t come” He says glancing down.

“What? Why?” She says with anger. “Why Stiles can come and I don’t?”

“He isn’t coming, I was going to ask you to tell him to go straight home, and you do the same, something weird is going on, I’ve hearing the whole morning rumors about son deathly virus and terrorists”

“What that has to do with me?” She says rolling her eyes with frustration.

“I just want you to be safe” He mutters.

How…How he can say that? He is the one who nearly died days ago! Not her! “But…”

“Please Allison, go home and wait for me, I promise I’ll tell you everything I now when I get home”

Allison sighs and nods.

Scott grins and before she has time to react to brushes her cheek with his lips. “What the hell you think you’re…” She starts angrily whipping her prickling cheek with her hand but when she glances up Scott is gone.

She follows Lydia to the exit while her friend chats about a pair of boots that she saw the other day and she intends to buy today, Allison couldn’t envy her more, she is so happy and quite, she wishes she would have come through the Revertere. Things would have been easier.

They take the corner toward the parking lot to get to Lydia’s car when Allison spots the principal talking to a talk and good-looking man, she isn’t sure why but…He looks somewhat familiar… She blinks and then he is looking straight at her. She looks away embarrassed as she follows her best friend, she knows it…She saw it his eyes, just for a small second, that man…Seemed like he recognized her!

…….

He knew Mrs. Greenberg wasn’t going to show up today, there is something wrong with that woman, she must be very sick to lose such amount of classes.

He keeps walking down the avenue to take the bus. The good thing about getting out of school early is that he has some spare time so he can resume his research about God knows what attacked them the other night, the bad news is that he must walk five blocks to the bus station though it isn’t as hard as he expected, considering how much he has run lately, it seems like he has starting to grow up some stamina in his body, good! Perfect for when the town becomes hell and he needs to run for his life.

At least the bus station is just a block away, soon he will be home and will run straight to his laptop. It had been useless till now, he has been looking for the creature that almost killed them and why it died but the description is very ambiguous, even in the deep web there are hundreds of dreadful monsters that fits the characteristics of that one, but which one it could be? And plus…Do all those things really exist? Damn, it seems like there are more kinds of supernatural shit out there than humans.

He turns on the corner to take the ally and win some time and he suddenly lets out a high pitched cry and stares startled at the little kid standing before him bathed in blood.

Stiles’ hands start shaking, he takes a step ahead and the boy steps back. He hears a familiar’s car horn and he quickly spins. A couple of feet at his back is black Camaro.

“Get up!” Derek shouts from the pilot’s seat.

Stiles quickly turns back to the ally and the boy is gone.

“Come on! Is getting late!” Derek says at his back.

What? What happened to the boy? Is Stiles losing his mind? He can swear he just saw him standing before him just seconds ago.

He hesitates a second and then he walks to the car.

“What do you want?” He asks at the passenger’s door opens.

“We have a date remember?” The werewolf says arching a brow.

Stiles blushes and then he spots Isaac, Jackson and a moody Scott sitting in the back seat. Scott is finally alright! Is time for some answers.

“He can’t come” Scott grunts as soon as Stiles climbs in the car.

Stiles bits his bottom lip, he would like to get out of the car and run away from them and Scott’s hateful eyes, but he wants to know what is going on, he needs to know the name of the creature that almost killed him.

Ten minutes later Derek stops the car outside Deaton’s home right next Stiles’ parent’s old house. He takes a quick glance at it and then follows the group to the doctors’ porch.

“Do it” Derek orders when they stop before the steps, and then Stiles gets it. The fertility line!

He rises his right hand and swims it horizontally, a big rush of air strike them, disheveling his hair and he knows it, the supernatural wall has fallen.

The start coming in but when Stiles tries it Derek puts a hand on his shoulder and makes him step back. “Wait in the car, I’ll take you home when we’re done”

“What? No! I want to know what’s going on!”

“This is none of your business, how many times I have to tell you?” Derek grunts.

Jesus! Why he has to be such a jerk? After their little chat at Stiles home he thought… He thought that… Never mind he’s an asshole! He has always been and he will always be, he just brought Stiles here so he could open the supernatural gate for them.

“You could have called Deaton and tell him to opened for you” He says sharply.

“Actually we came, but since he wouldn’t open I looked for you” Derek says with a wolfish grin, Gosh! It fits him perfectly.

“Let him in” Deaton’s stern voice says

Stiles and Derek crane their necks and find the man standing in the door next to Jackson, Isaac and Scott.

“But…” Scott starts.

“He should hear this, and Allison too”

“She is not here” Stiles says glaring at Scott.

“Well, you can’t say I didn’t try” Deaton replies inviting them in.

What? What does he means?

Stiles follow a pissed off Derek to Deaton’s living room. When the door closes itself behind Stiles everyone put their eyes on Deaton.

“Alright you might be asking yourselves…”

“Cut the crap what’s going on?” Stiles demands.

Everyone look at Stiles openmouthed, why they are so shocked? If they only knew what kind of motherfucker Deaton really is inside.

“Mr.” Scott starts “What was the thing that attacked us?”

“That’s not the question you want to ask Scott” The man replies sternly.

More riddles. Here they go!

“The question you must ask, is what it was meant to be”

“What do you mean?” Derek demands and now Stiles can see fear leaping through his eyes. “We hadn’t be able to find anything about it yet”

“That is because, the creature you eyed that night, is something just a few have seen” He makes a pause and saunters around.

“You’re saying that whoever made that thing, was planning to do that exactly?” Jackson asks frowning.

“Correct” Deaton nods. “You shouldn’t be afraid of what you saw that night, because you’ll see many of them in the following days”

“So…You know what they are trying to craft?” Stiles mutters dreading the answer.

“I’m not sure yet… But if I’m right, you should be ready, because I’m afraid that the country maybe the whole world will be in danger if they succeed”


	20. Borderlines

#  **BORDERLINES**

 

Two hours for sunset. It doesn’t matter how much he walks, all the game traps are empty. He hadn’t eat in two days and his body is starting to feel the consequences. He feels weak and tired. It doesn’t matter how safe his stash might look, he can’t sleep, he won’t sleep until all this is over and his daughter is safe.

He keeps walking slowly, to make sure that he is undetected. The pheromones were a good idea, it would make harder for the wolves to find him even Scott in case Allison forces him to look for him. He owes Deaton so much, it doesn’t matter what he says about it must happens this way, he is afraid that all the favors he is doing for him have a secret toll for Chris in the future. He wishes he could talk to the faces in the wind like him and understand what is going on, and find a way to keep his daughter safe. He wishes he could bind again.

 _Damn burden_ He thinks moody.

His stomach cramps and he knows that if he doesn’t eat soon he will be in danger. If there is an ambush… He will die. He just hopes that Deaton have seen anything better for him than just starving to death alone in the woods.

And speaking of the woods…Well, something is going on here. Of course he knows it is related to the Fenrir and those morons that came after him but… He hadn’t find any clue of them in all the days he has been hiding. It is stupid to hide in the woods with them in there but at the same time it is a good strategy, they wouldn’t look for him under their own noses, and even if they tried they wouldn’t be able to do it so easily, he found a good place to hide and the only time he is in danger is when he is desperately looking for food.

Like now for example.

He still has to check a couple of snares near the Derek’s cabin so he hopes he is lucky and finds something to eat. God! He is tired of raw meat, he wishes he can have a steamy steak, he could engulf it in one bite. How long he will have to stay this way? When is he going to find the lair? He needs a plan, he needs more weapons, but with Jeremy gone, his friends death, he is lonely, it is unreliable that he must fight an army of thousands wolves by himself.

 _Like in the old times_ He thinks and chuckles.

It was different back then of course, he had Victoria, he could bind too. He was another person.

No. He doesn’t have to kill a thousand wolves. He just need to kill one…Well, maybe another two more, though he isn’t sure of that yet, could he? Could he be able of such thing? Oh god! Just the thing of killing those boys… Even if they are werewolves… Allison would be very disappointed, right?

He sighs and shakes his head. There is no time to think about those morons, he needs to find food to keep his research in the forest and put an end to all this before it is too late.

He slowly leans from behind an oak’s shadow and spots the rope with something dangling in its end at just fifty feet away. What is it? He can’t see it right… But, it looks like a hare.

A snowshoe hare? How lucky!

He slowly comes out and stealthy reaches the snare to take a closer look. It doesn’t make sense. Is rare to see them on day light and it doesn’t look….

He comes below it to untie the rope and then he feels it. A warm liquid falls on his hands, he looks up and see the blood dripping from the animal…How...How is it bleeding?

“Hungry uh?” A female voice says at his back.

A shiver runs down his spine.

Chris quickly spins tugging out his guns to face the she-wolf.

…….

It is a complete change, it is like coming back to her actual life, the one she longed so dearly. People are walking down the hallways quietly. Nurses stop to exchange gossips. It is like all the things that have been happening in the town vanished, as if it was all a misunderstanding, a cold nightmare.

There are patients though, many of them. But hospitals are usually crowded with them, but… There is something weird about them, she can’t exactly but…They look pretty healthy for her.

Melissa keeps walking and waves a couple of nurses, they wave back and she continues her walk.

Even though everything looks fine, the guys in the black clothes hadn’t go, there are at least two of them in every hallway. Always checking all the patients, doctors, nurses and visitors, as if they are looking for something. If they only knew god! She wishes she can tell them, but it is too risky, she doesn’t know at which point the government knows about supernatural things and she dreads that something might happen to her and her son if she opens her mouth.

The tests they made to Simon and her days ago were pretty normal, just some blood samples and a full check out of their bodies and of course… A talk, a long talk with awkward a weird questions about sex, drugs and everything else, they also asked if they knew the man who attacked them and if they had seen him before.

She wasn’t the only officer who got stuck in that situation, all her unit was taken to the laboratory with Julie.

She feels anxious and scared, she can’t stop thinking about longshot and his warning, she can’t sleep in well either. She feels like if she let herself have a full night sleep she will wake up to find Beacon Hills turned into a battlefield with monsters all over, people dead in the streets and rivers of blood beneath her feet. That’s the reason she needs to find him right now. She is supposed to be patrolling but she can’t help it anymore she needs to do something.

She knocks his door.

“Come in” His familiarly calm voice says from the other side.

She spins the nob and gets inside.

“Mel” He says with a smirk detaching his eyes from the sheet of paper in his desk.

“Hi” She says listlessly closing the door at her back.

“Are…Are you alright?” He asks with concern. Oh god! How can he ask her that after all the things they lived the past days?

She shakes her head.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick? When the symptoms started?” He says with shaky voice.

Melissa chews her bottom lip. Watching Simon changing so quickly reminds her of who he is, he isn’t just a doctor. He is her best friend, that’s the reason why she needs to do this, it kills her to see him this concern and scared all suddenly. After all the things he lived the past year.

“I’m not sick” She denies with a sly grin. “I just needed to talk to you”

“Are you sure?” He asks with some relief.

She nods. “I’m just concerned about you”

He chuckles. “Why?”

“I think you should leave town” She explains looking away.

Simons takes a minute to process what she just said and then speaks. “I…I don’t understand what you mean”

“Is she still locked in that room?” Mellissa says as she approaches and takes seat before him.

“Who?” He says frowning confused.

“That woman, Julie” She whispers afraid of what might happen if someone is eavesdropping.

“Why are you whispering?” He mutters with concern.

“I don’t know Simon…It’s just…Something weird is going on here, tell me, hadn’t she left the room this days?”

He shakes his head.

“See?”

“What?” He says with frustration. “Mel, you’re scaring”

And she is actually, he looks so paled and preoccupied and even though he is right to…She can’t help sniggering a little for the funny look of his face.

She sighs. “Simon, she hadn’t find yet what is going on, no one knows what is going on, they aren’t even sure if it is a virus after all, the man said he got bitten by something”

“He…” Simon starts fearful. “He must have been mistaken, he must have confused the whole thing and…A virus…”

“No Simon, you know it can’t be a virus, have you ever seen a person become a monster, grow claws and have red glowing eyes because of a virus? You are a doctor you know that there is no such thing”

He shakes his head. “No but…”

“You need to go”

“Mel….”

“I’m serious Simon, take Stiles and runaway before something awful happens, I got a weird feeling, something bad is about to happen”

He gaps. “That’s more than a good reason for me to stay, I’m a doctor I must do all in my power to help people, I can’t just runaway and leave everyone”

“What about Stiles?” She says sternly. She knows this is an awful thing to do but she needs to keep him safe. “What if Stiles gets infected by this so called virus? What are you going to do? Watch him die….The same way…” She can’t finish the sentence, she feels like the worst person in the world.

And by the way in his eyes she knows what she meant to say.

“Nothing is going to happen, Julie is going to find a cure and…”

“What about HIV? Did they find a cure yet? It’s been decades what if this _‘virus’_ is one of those kind?”

“No…” He shakes his head. “It can’t be”

“It could”

“You see to know a lot about it”

“I…” She looks away. “I’m just guessing the worst scenarios”

“Bullshit” He grunts. “You know something” He accuses.

No! She doesn’t know anything! She just… Can’t help feeling that all this… Crap! She should have talked to Stiles, convince him to run away with his dad.

“Tell me” He urges her. “We could help to sort out all this, if you know something…”

“I don’t know what is causing all this” She says calmly.

“But you have your suspects, don’t you detective?” He asks arching a brow.

“I’m not a detective” She says glaring at him embarrassed.

“Yet” He affirms. “Tell me Mel, maybe you could help solve this mystery”

She sighs. “I….I know this is going to sound stupid but…”

“But what?”

“What if this…Is something else?”

“What do you mean?” He says not getting her point.

Damn it!

“I mean like, what if all this was something fantastic? Something you thought couldn’t be possible”

“I think we all agreed that this is something from otherworld, are you saying this might be an alien illness? Something from other planet?” He frowns.

“Not exactly another planet, but what if it could be from something like a fairy tale?”

“Like demons and those stuffs?” Simon chuckles amused.

Mellissa sighs again, it doesn’t matter. He won’t believe it. “Forget about it, just go please”

“Mel, you should be patrolling the streets instead of coming to tell me about virus from outer space, people are freaking out with all this”

“What do you mean?”

“People are paranoid, every hour comes more and more people, no one knows exactly what is going on but everyone is scared of getting infected, I saw many persons walking in the streets wearing masks to protect themselves”

“I…Didn’t notice” She says thoughtful.

“People want answers and there is nothing in the news, all is kept secretly, I’m not even sure if someone despite the government knows what is going on here, they’re trying to hide everything”

“See? Another more reason to get the hell out here! I don’t like this Simon, I don’t like this at all”

“Mel, even if I wanted to, there is no way out”

“I could find a way, I could bust you and Stiles out” She assures though she isn’t quite sure if she is capable, but she will try without hesitation.

“What about you?” He says confused.

“I can’t go, I’m a cop and my work is to keep this place safe”

“So I must go but you stay?” He says bitterly.

“Is different Simon. It is my job and I can take care of myself, you have Stiles you two must…”

“What about Scott?” He grunts. “Are you going to keep him here too?”

“I…I…I don’t know what I’m going to do but you…”

“What is Longshot’s daughter at your house?”

“Simon please! Stop making so much questions! Just let me help you”

“I’m sorry Mel, I can’t go”

“Why you have to be so stub…?”

“I can’t go and leave you and Scott behind, I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happens to you both”

Mellissa balls her shaking hands and looks away feeling her cheeks reddening. She hadn’t expect that! She didn’t think he could…

Simon stands and comes to her side of her desk to hold her tight against his chest.

“You don’t know how to fire a gun, you’re not trained…If something happens…If something happens”

“Everything is going to be alright Mellissa, I promise” He says in a reassuring and calm way that she almost believes it.

“If you it makes you feel calmer, I promise I’ll keep an eye on Julie, if she finds out something, you will be the first in knowing”

“Promise me that if she doesn’t find anything soon you will leave” She begs.

“I promise, but only if you come with me too” He mutters.

Mellissa tops short, sighs and nods.

…….

“I’m sorry for disturbing you sir” Says Scott embarrassed.

“It’s alright, it had to happen this way” The man replies with a smirk.

 _Here we go._ Thinks Stiles rolling his eyes.

“So?” Derek starts frowning. “What do you know?”

Dr. D sighs. “Follow me” He beckons and starts walking out of the living room to head to his secret basement.

Scott and Derek exchange glances and Stiles grits his teeth. Are they seriously thinking that Deaton could betray them? Well….Stiles isn’t the bigger fan of the doctor but… He wouldn’t be able of such thing, right?

“Let’s go” He urges them and makes his way downstairs.

The place is the same as Stiles recalls it since the last time he was there months ago, the night Jackson was turned. Is a small cellar with many cabinets and drawers inside which Deaton hides all his twisted mojo things.

The surgery table isn’t in the middle of the room as usual. Instead is replaced by a big haste of black twigs.

“What is this?” Says Derek pointing at them.

Dr. D ignores him and goes to the other side of the room to grab some stuff from one of his drawers. “Make a circle around it” He orders. “You’ll be able to see it better that way”

“What thing?” Stiles asks interested.

“Deaton I have no time for your tricks, do you know something or not?” Derek grunts and stops before the twigs at Stiles’ left.

“Sadly I must say it isn’t as easy as knowing or not”

“What do you mean?” Isaac asks frowning.

“I do know a story that could answer some of your questions, but it isn’t as helpful as you might expect”

“Tell us then so we can leave you alone” Derek says bored. “What is going on?”

Dr. D saunters around them whispering words in low voice. Stiles can’t understand them but with every single one spoken he feels a weird squirming inside him, the air is turning chill, he can see his breathing now, the light bulb on top of them is flickering slowly but while the seconds go by its rate increases along with Dr. D’s voice tune.

The wolves are anxious, Stiles can see it. They crane their necks in all directions as if they are hearing something, and by the look on their faces it must be something terrifying. Stiles is happy he doesn’t have supernatural ears or else…

“The thing you saw the other night was wendigo” The man suddenly says and the lights go off.

“A what?” Jackson says with shaky voice now that they are submerged in a cold and thick cloud of nothingness.

“A wendigo” Deaton repeats and a high pitched growl explodes in the air as orange flames burst in the middle of the circle and the wolves and Stiles step back taken aback.

Stiles tilts his head toward Scott and Derek, both of them are staring at the fire intently. He looks at it too and then he sees it. A tiny version of the beast, from the other night walking around in the middle of the fire, floating and spinning as in one of those animations samples of videogame characters.

The memories of that night comes to Stiles’ head, the fear, the anger, Scott bathed in blood, that brief second in which they almost died. It is so real and distant at the same time. Derek is right, Stiles can’t keep hiding it. He is scared. There is something awfully disturbing about the wendigos.

A cold breeze makes him shiver as a get Goosebumps and his head sways. They just not kill; they are vicious and extremely rare, they hadn’t been seen in centuries because of what happened.

That night, reading the binding book alone in the room. Learning about werewolves not believing that they were real…

“What are they?” He hears Isaac say.

“Cannibals” Stiles speaks aloud. The world squirms and burns and hurts, his chest is throbbing and he his mouth is dry…He is thirsty, why he is so thirsty?

“How do you know that and I don’t?” Derek says moody next to him.

“They are the result of an act of cannibalism. Yeti, Bigfoot, abominable snow man, call them what you want they are all the same. Victims of extreme starve who tasted human flesh from one reason or other”

“How can you get turned in a monster by eating human flesh?” Says Jackson in shock.

“How can you get turned in a wolf by being bitten by one?” Says Stiles still with his eyes fixed in the flames while the world spins around him, and hears some cars horns no too away from the store.

He can’t move his eyes now or his legs, actually his whole body is numb and the only living thing in it is his mouth because his brain…. He can’t focus his mind and even though his lips keep moving swiftly.

“The hunger turns you in a monster, as soon as you have tasted the human blood something awakens inside you, the appetite grows and now you crave for it, you want it desperately, bit a bit you become insane until…You turn into a savage and as your mind your body starts changing until you become one of them”

“It looks like you have been reading the binding book” Says Deaton Sternly.

“I… I” Starts Stiles in a soft whisper. Damn the thirst…The heat. It is so annoying.

“Curious, because there are only two copies in this town, and one is in the desk at your back” Points out the man with piercing eyes.

“What are you talking about?” Says Isaac.

“Stiles?” Says Deaton looking at him straight in the eye.

“Come on Lydia I’m really thirsty, just let me go to the store and get a coke, I’ll be back in no time” Stiles replies chewing his lip.

“S…Stiles?” Isaac or Jackson says.

“Yeah that pair suits you well, can we go for the coke now?”

“S…Stiles?”

…….

“Are you sure?” Lydia purses her lips and arches a brow.

“God Lydia! This is why I don’t like shopping” Says Allison pointing at the floor where at least another twenty pair of boots and heels are awaiting for her friend to try them.

“Oh come on Allison! What is going on with you? You’re too butchy today”

Allison shakes her head. “Lydia you promised you would just come a buy a pair”

“I know but… They look so….Beautiful” She says staring at the rows and rows of shoes with greedy eyes.

Something is definitely wrong with her.

“Can we go for a drink now? My throat is scrappy and I feel like being next to a bonfire” Allison begs feeling sweaty and sticky.

Lydia frowns. “Are you okay honey? It’s freezing cold here inside” Points out the cheerleader.

“I’m fine, I just need a soda” She affirms standing up.

“Just another pair I promise” Lydia says waving at the sales assistant”

“Just another and we’ll go” Allison grunts rolling her eyes, but Lydia isn’t paying attention, her eyes are fixed in the heels that he woman is bringing to her.

“They are beautiful” She says excited.

“All of then suit you awesome Lydia, can we go now?”

“Oh you’re just like Stiles, it was the same when we came to pick a dress for…” Lydia is saying but then she stops and cranes her neck toward Allison. “You’re so alike sometimes”

“What do you mean?” Allison frowns.

“I can’t explain it but… Sometimes when I’m with you it feels like…Like if he is around”

“Oh Lydia I think you finally lost the… No, I’m not sure how I know, I couldn’t have read the book”

Lie…She knows she read the book.

“Allison?”

“I’m telling you, I don’t remember saying any of those things”

“Allison are you alright?”

“Is not that, maybe I read about wendigos when I was searching what this assholes were”

“Allison you’re scaring me” Whispers Lydia softly.

Allison snaps and frowns at her friend. “What? Why?”

“Be…Because of what you….You just said” Replies her friend with shaky voice.

Allison chuckles. “Come one Lydia, I’m not seriously going to kill for a coke, it’s was in figurative way”

“That’s…That’s not what you say” Lydia says open mouthed, her bright eyes are now wide open.

Allison’s heart gives a lurch. What is going on to her friend? Is she feeling alright?

“You said about researching people, about a…we…wen…Wendigo”

 _Wendigo?_ How can Lydia know about wendigos? What is going on here?

Allison cranes her neck, the sales assistant is staring at her the same way Lydia does.

Allison pretends a smirk. “Come on, so many shoes are making you hear things”

“Allison….”

“Lydia, I really need a soda right now. I’m literally hot”

“Alright, let’s go” Lydia agrees with gritted teeth and a frightened look on her face.

…….

“What did you just say?” Asks Derek taking him by the arm to help him stand up.

What…Is he doing on the floor?

Stiles looks around as Derek hauls him up, everyone is staring at him openmouthed beneath the light of the fire before them…Everyone but Deaton of course.

“I said that I thought those things were mutant werewolves” He replies blinking.

“No Monkey, that’s not what you said” Isaac whispers.

“You said what wendigos are” Jackson says in an almost accusing tone.

Stiles shakes his head. “What? How can I…? I don’t know what you are talking about”

“You said they were people who became monsters because of cannibalism” Derek affirms sternly steadying him.

No…How… He looks at them confused. Did he really say that? How?

Then it comes to his mind a brief memory of the past minutes.

“How do you know that much? Deaton said you don’t have a binding book” Scott grunts. “You have been getting in trouble again, did talk to someone else about this?”

Oh! He wants to talk now? Stiles balls his hands, he is really mad at Scott right now. “Is not that, maybe I read about wendigos when I was searching what this assholes were”

Scott glares at him.

“Doctor” Stiles breaths out confused.

“You were right” The man says with calm. “There are people who believes that wendigos were born as a result of cannibalism in Native American tribes, but there is also another version of the story, one…That almost no one knows”

“What do you mean?” Derek inquires tilting his head toward him.

“You’ll see, wendigos are commonly known by living in forests around villages, feeding from human flesh but… Also they are known as something that went wrong”

Now all the eyes are on Doctor Deaton, everyone is holding their breath, there is something scary by the way the man said “ _wrong”_

“What do you mean by wrong?” Isaac asks cutting the silence suddenly.

“When I as being trained, in the library of the academy I found a book that have fallen below the shelf, it was almost impossible to find but since I was short and a little clumsy I ended up in the floor picking some things I have dropped and I found it”

“It was a bestiary or something like it?” Stiles asks leaning with interest.

Dr. D shakes his head. “It was a cooking book actually, a pretty old one, probably one of the firsts in the world”

“But then… What…?” Starts Scott.

Stiles hadn’t hear his voice since they got there, he feels his insides squirming, he didn’t do anything when Stiles fall…When did Stiles fall? And why?

“I was checking the recipes. I was really curious and it was then when I found it, and even older parchment with a story written on it”

“What it said?” All of them ask at once.

“Basically it told the story of two tribes in north Alaska, they had been in war for many decades and none ever succeed in destroying the other”

Stiles chews his bottom lip.

“The story says that an owl, big as a tree came down one night from the moon and stood in front of one of the chiefs to tell him how to win the war using a weapon”

“A weapon?” Scott muttered. “What? Like a gun?”

 _Yeah a gun Scotty_ Stiles thinks bitterly.

“A creature”

“What kind of creature, a Wendigo?” Asks Isaac.

Dr. D shakes his head. “A creature swifter than wind, wiser than time, stronger than avalanches and impossible to destroy”

“Did they win? What happened with the creature?” Derek says amazed.

“Don’t rush things Derek” Replies Deaton quietly. “The chief did as the owl bid him, but it didn’t matter how hard they try, it was always the same. Every time they tried, the victim of their experiment became an uncontrollable monster. A monster they called Manaha and was later known as Wendigo”

“What happened then? How they did got rid of them”

“As I said, Wendigos are the result of something that went wrong. They were unstable and lasted just a couple of hours, the longest just a few weeks. All of them ended the same way, bursting in blood spontaneously”

“So, they never achieved their goal” Says Stiles more to himself than anyone else.

Dr. D nods. “After a couple of weeks, both tribes disappeared”

“That’s all?” Asks Isaac incuriously.

“Not even a name of the creature?” Adds Scott frowning.

“I’m afraid not” Says Deaton Sternly.

  1. Thinks Stiles with anger, he probably knows but he doesn’t want them to know because of his policy of not getting involved unless in is on the wind.



“So…We don’t have anything to worry” Says Isaac thoughtful. “They always die, so all we have to do its keep them busy until they die, right?”

“It’s not that simple” Replies Scott with certain look in his eyes. “We need to stop the Fenrir and his pack before the turn the whole town into monsters, because it is them, they are the ones doing this”

“And both, the pack and the Wendigos are stronger than us” Adds Derek nodding.

“Actually, those aren’t the things you should be concerned about” Intervenes Dr. D sauntering around the fire. “Remember, if they success in their research, Beacon Hills will be just the tip of the iceberg”

“But you said the tribes never reached their goal” Jackson Points out.

“I never said that. I just said that they disappeared, maybe the Wendigos or something else killed them all”

“But someone must have survived or unless we would know about it” Stiles says thoughtful.

Dr. D grins at him.

“Wait a second” Says Isaac thoughtful. “If the Wendigos are much stronger than us”

“And if they find the missing piece in their puzzle” Continues Scott.

“We are all dead” Chuckles a voice at their backs.

Stiles cranes his neck and finds Marin sitting in the stairs with an amused look on her face.

“Marin…” Her dad

“That was a beautiful story” She says with a delighted smirk as she stands and approaches them. “Why you didn’t tell stories like that one when I was a little girl?”

“It would have probably scared you” Replies her dad with a chuckle.

“Don’t be dramatic, I would have handled it pretty well, I’m a tough girl after all. I can take care of myself”

“You’re not going Marin” Her dad warns.

“You can’t stop me, we’re nearer than ever to the wind’s blackout. Maybe I’m the one who must make the decision. Maybe after I’m gone you’ll be able to see how it ends”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Says Stiles confused.

“I’m here to help you guys” She says with a smirk. “I studied Native American history after all, I don’t know about this creature but… I think I know someone who does, though he is hard to find I’ll do my best to do it, sadly the voices didn’t tell me where he is right now”

She is going to help! It could put the odds on their favor!

“I don’t know for how long I’ll be gone, so here is the deal losers, in exchange for the information about the creature you must promise you’ll take care of my dad”

“I can take care of myself” Dr. D snorts sharply.

“I mean it” She says with a stark look in her eyes. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, and less when will be their next move, so you better find a way to protect the town while I’m gone”

“Marin I…” Her dad starts.

“It’s alright. I packed yesterday I’m leaving right now” She says with a grin and approaches her dad to give him a hug. “I love you dad”

“I love you too honey but…”

“You can’t stop, this needs to be done if we want to find a way to stop all this”

She waves goodbye to Stiles and the wolves and climbs up the stairs.

“So… We need a plan” Says Scott with his jaw set.

“I already have one” Replies Stiles with a grin.

……

They never made it to the smoothies because on their way there Lydia saw a beautiful strapless dress and she couldn’t miss the chance to try it. At least Allison is calmer now, the air is a bit cold inside the dress store and she is sitting in a pretty comfortable couch staring at her friend walking like a magazine cover’s girl around the mirrors while more and more people stop outside the store to watch her stunned.

Allison rolls her eyes.

“I’ll take it” Lydia says with a beautiful grin on her red lips.

“You’re a shopaholic, you know?”

“And you’re sniveler” Replies her friend chuckling. “Come on Allison, when was the last time we went to a party?”

“I don’t know Lydia I just… I’m not in the mood for parties”

“Allison you can’t keep punishing yourself because of your dad, It’s been six months I’m not telling you to forget about him, all I ask you if you try to smile more often, you have a beautiful smile, you can’t deny it to the world”

“You’re right” Allison grins.

“So… Are we going out tonight to the club? I’m sure we can get to meet a pair of gorgeous guys”

Allison frowns, it would be crazy to go out with all things happening, she doesn’t even know how people are acting so normally with the town being put on quarantine. “Maybe next week, we got an exam tomorrow, remember?”

“Piece of cake” Replies Lydia coming out of the fitting room with the dress on her hands. “Let’s checkout”

After paying the dress Allison and Lydia come out of the store, finally they’re going to get something to drink or eat or whatever, Allison doesn’t care, she is feeling anxious and she doesn’t know the exact reason. Maybe it has to do with the Wendigo talk but… She feels like she needs something to keep her mind busy.

“Over there” Says Lydia pointing at the coffee shop at the end of the hall.

“Alright, let’s go” Allison follows Lydia inside the coffee shop and they find the place crowded with tons of their class mates.

“Oh look there is Emily” Says Lydia waving at one of her friends for from the cheerleading squad.

Allison watches Lydia go where Emily and her boyfriend are sitting and she stays in the line. When it is her turn to order Lydia appears again.

“What will you want?” Asks her friend cheerful.

“I don’t know…I think…” Allison looks the menu on top of the wall next to the clock and stares at the hour openmouthed. It’s pretty late already. How is that she spent half of the day with Lydia there?

“I got a brown mocaccino” Says Lydia suddenly next to her.

Allison blinks and turns to catch take it and thank her friend when she spots him.

Standing in front of him is the guy… The man from school, the one she saw talking with the principal….That guy with the green eyes and the familiar…

Allison’s heart gives a lurch, she doesn’t know why but… “I have to go, its late and my uncle must be concerned”

“But…” Is saying Lydia and Allison steps back.

She trips with something and falls on her back. She closes her eyes awaiting for the struck of the ground against her skull.

“Are you okay?” A voice says suddenly and Allison opens her eyes. The man’s hand is on her back, and he is holding her. Helping her stand again and even when it is impossible he is… Holding her mocaccino with his free hand, not even a drop slid out of it.

“I….” Allison starts with shaky voice.

She meets her eyes with Lydia and then with the man.

“I have to go” And said so, she runs away.

…….

“This is insane” Roars Scott with despise.

Stiles looks away with gritted teeth.

“It’s a good idea actually” Says Isaac thoughtful.

“He is right Scott, we need to do something and this sounds like a pretty good idea” Agrees Jackson though he looks pretty concerned by Scott’s look.

“I don’t care if you agree or not, I’m doing it anyway, I can’t stay arms crossed while the whole town turns into Wendigos” Stiles replies bitterly.

Scott glares at him and does the same back. He was his best friend, the person who would be next to him always, no matter what. Just like their parents but this? Stiles won’t allow him to treat him this way, he knows that he is the reason all this shit is happening, he gets it and he hates himself because of it but… It doesn’t matter, he will fight against the Fenrir, the Wendigos, his curse, even against to that indestructible creature if he has to, but he won’t let anything happen to the place where he was born, the place where his parents met and where all his good memories lie.

He spins and faces Derek “What do you think?” He asks.

“You wanna die?” Derek archess a brow with a mocking grin on his lips. “Then do it, it’s your death wish”

“I don’t care if you’re the pack leader Derek, I’ll help him” Says Jackson defiantly walking toward Stiles to stop next to him.

Stiles cranes his neck toward the boy and smirks, he can’t believe there was a time when he didn’t like Jackson. He is such a good friend.

Derek snorts. “You can’t help him, you can’t touch the dirty, and it’s forbidden for the supernatural”

“What do you mean?” Jackson asks confused.

“Why you do think we brought the monkey? He can release the bind, Deaton wouldn’t let us in without him, only humans can get to touch graveyard’s dirt, we aren’t allowed in holy grounds, until the day… The day where this world and the other are bound”

“Wait a second…” Jackson mutters with sadness. “I won’t be able to visit my grannie’s grave again”

“Only on Halloween” Derek replies nodding.

“That’s so unfair” Jackson roars. “How… How are we going to spread such amount of dirt if we can’t touch it?”

“Yeah right?” Scott laughs. “Even better, how are we going to get enough graveyard dirt to cover the whole town?” He arches a brow amused.

“I never asked your help” Stiles shots with his jaw set.

“Oh right! Please Stiles tell us how you are going to protect the whole town with your magic powers! And how you plan to surround everything with the graveyard dirt in one night”

“Why you have to treat him that way? At least he is trying to do something!” Isaac growls stepping before Stiles and Scott. “What is your plan Scott? Fight every day until Marin comes back?”

“I…I…” Scott tries to reply but he his speechless.

Stiles has to choke a laugh.

“Guys, it is dark already, if we’re going to do something, it must be now” Jackson interferes.

Stiles checks his clock. He is right. It’s now or never. He turns toward Dr. D who hadn’t move or talk since he said his idea aloud. “This must happen, doesn’t it?” He says with a triumphant grin.

“They are right there” Dr. D replies pointing at the dark corner at Stiles left.

He squints and spots them and they are…. HUGE. It will be impossible for him to carry them to Derek’s car.

“Don’t worry, the truck is waiting behind some bushes in the wood line” Deaton replies with a grin.

“You knew about his plan?” Scott asks openmouthed.

“I’ve been collecting the dirt and the stories for years for this day” The man nods.

“The stories?” Jackson says confused.

“I must forge a link between the fertility line and myself, by paying my respects, am I?” Stiles asks chewing his bottom lip.

“That’s right” Deaton affirms. “You must be careful, it isn’t like protecting a home, the town is really big, it will take a big toll on you”

“What?” Says Scott with shaky voice. “He might….Die or something?”

Stiles can see the fear leaping through his best’s friend eyes.

“He will be okay, Stiles has a great will, but he must be careful, that’s all”

“So…We have a plan?” Isaac says excited.

“We have a plan” Stiles replies with a grin.

“I won’t take part in this” Scott says suddenly walking out of the basement.

All of them watch him go in silence until Isaac speaks again. “I’ll talk to him” He says before disappearing.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to” Stiles says pretending he doesn’t care.

When Isaac disappears in the top of the stairs Stiles feels a grip in the arm and he finds himself being dragged by Derek to the other side of the room.

“What…What are you doing?” He asks trying to break free stubbornly.

“We need to talk first” Derek says moodily.

“What do you want?”

“Look…” Derek starts looking around as if trying to find the words in his head. “The war might begin in a few hours, Scott and you need to stop acting like kids”

“Excuse me?” Stiles grunts. “I’m acting like a kid? He is the one who said all those things! He might be right but he hurt my feelings and it doesn’t even matter, he is the one who doesn’t want to talk to me anyway!”

“God!” Derek says losing his patient. “Didn’t we have this conversation before? He is just trying to protect you, that’s the reason he pushes you away”

Stiles doesn’t reply. It did matter what he say, Derek won’t understand.

“Look, Scott is going through a lot right now, he has the burden of the town, his family and Allison on his shoulders, you could easy the things a little for him if you…”

“If I what? I forget about drawing the borderline?” Stiles grimaces.

Derek shakes his head and chuckles. “No, actually is a pretty clever idea, if we find the way to keep them trapped in the forest until Marin is back we might have a chance”

“You think?” Stiles asks openmouthed, he can’t believe Derek Hale is supporting him. “Well, it’s natural I always have great plans”

Derek holds a laugh. “Like getting into the woods to fight werewolves when you weren’t even sure if we were real”

Stiles glares at him. “That’s different, you were driving me crazy, with all that ‘don’t get into the woods or you’ll regret it’”

“Anyway, those were other times, back then there was a pattern, now random people is dying for now reason, we need to be careful”

“We?” Stiles frowns. “You can’t help me with the line” Stiles reminds him.

“I know” Derek nods. “But you’re not going alone either, we will be there if anything goes wrong” Derek affirms sternly.

Stiles steps back shocked. They really believe in him and his plan, even Derek. If only Scott…

“You don’t need to worry, I can take care of myself” Stiles affirms.

“I know” Derek nods. “But is better if we go with you, if a Wendigo finds you, you could be in a lot of trouble”

“I get it, but…”

“Let’s go” Derek groans rolling his eyes. “I’ll get the truck”

Stiles sighs and goes to the darkest corner, where the sacks await for him. Bit a bit he slowly pushes them to the stairs and finally Deaton agrees to help him when the boy is struggling with the steps.

An hour later all the graveyard dirt is outside the doctor’s house, and now with an extra half hour they are in the back of the truck. Deaton gives stiles a couple of sheets of paper and Derek starts the truck.

Stiles looks around and finds Isaac and Jackson lurking in the shadows, awaiting for them to start, but there is no trace of Scott.

Stiles glances down, turns on his phone’s flashlight and starts reading the stories to forge the bond with the line of fertility.

Derek drives in silence to let Stiles read while they approach the quietest street connected to the woods. Here, Stiles climbs down of the truck and opens a tiny hole in one of the sacks and then they drive away while Stiles keep reading. It is a long and slow trip, they must make sure that an actual line is drawn while Stiles keeps reading aloud. Mary Lou Stevens, mother of the Harry Stevens, was a good wife and mother, teacher in Beacon’s Hill high school, lawyer and housewife, beloved and missed, she had two sister with whom she used to spend Sundays playing cards and drinking some tea, her favorite meal was casserole made for her older sister who learned the recipe from their mother.

More and more stories, artists, engineers, robbers, police officers, chefs, there are tons and tons of them, with fascinating stories and anecdotes to tell, as he reads he can feels how bit a bit his body starts turning heavy and his eyes are closing by themselves, he must blink and shake his head to stay awake it’s been almost two hours and finally they are reaching the end of the line they are going to do it! He just have to wait a little longer.

Marcus Thatcher five hundred feet.

Jenny Maddison two hundred feet.

Terrance Bower fifty feet.

Claudia Stilinski… Stiles stops short… His mom… There is dirt from her grave in here…How? Deaton must have collected it as soon as they brought her body here. Stiles doesn’t know how to react. Deaton should have tell him, it isn’t fair! But…At the same time he knows it is a good thing. His mom loved this town and this peoples, she would be more than happy to help somehow.

Stiles starts reading the story he already knows and then recalls the he forged the bond days ago, when he went to see her…When he heard those cries and…

They stopped.

“Derek what are you doing? There are only ten feet left! We just….”

“Run!” Cries Derek pushing Stiles out of the truck with a single push at the moment Stiles hears the sound of metal bending and many high pitched snarls fill the air.

…….

She can’t stop thinking about him. His eyes, his mouth, his hair. That handsome man in the mall, holding her, glancing down at her with that deep stare.

There is something weird about living with the McCall family. It’s been almost a week and… It is not like she feels home but... There is something disturbingly comfortable about being in here. She misses her dad though. She still can’t believe he is alive and she wishes she can find him to help him with whatever he is planning but instead she must stay here.

She opens the door. All the lights are out, which means that Scott and his mother hadn’t come yet. What have happened at Deaton’s? Did they know the truth already? Why Scott isn’t here to tell her what is going on as he promised? She knew she couldn’t trust her, he is probably with that Derek.

She comes upstairs and takes a bath. It’s pretty late by now. Eventually Scott and his mom will show up so maybe they would like to get back and find their dinner made.

She is not sure if she steeping over the line but at the same time she wants to be grateful with Scott’s mom, if it wasn’t for her, Allison would be stuck in the foster house.

She walks into the kitchen, opens the fridge and frowns thinking what she might cook for them. After several minutes she grabs some carrots and potatoes, a chicken and spices. As she cooks she can’t help thinking about the man in the mall, about her dad and all the things that have been going on. Scott said early that there are rumors of virus. She is not sure but… She feels like everything is related, her dad, the monsters, the wolves, the virus. She just…

“Oh hey!” Says a voice at her back.

Allison whirls taken by surprise and quickly spins to meets her eyes with Scott’s mom’s “Hi Mrs. McCall” She embarrassed.

“Oh please Allison call me Mellissa” The woman says blushing.

“I’m sorry, Mellissa”

“What are you cooking? It smells delicious” The woman says with a dreaming look in her eyes though Allison can see how tired and concerned the woman actually is.

“Um… Something my dad taught me” She replies listlessly.

“Wow!” Mrs. McCall says impressed. “I didn’t know longshot cooked”

“He didn’t but…Since my mom died…”

Scott’s mom glances down with sadness. “I’m sorry I didn’t…”

“It’s okay” Allison affirms with a grin. “Would like some? It is done already”

“Yeah, just let me take a bath, I’ll back”

Allison smirks and Mrs. McCall comes out of the room. She finishes cooking and starts serving in the plates when the woman is back.

Allison takes seat in the table and eats in silence. Mellissa takes her dish and takes a spoonful of vegetables in her mouth. “They are soft and but not lumpy, excellent”

Allison blushes.

“You should give Scott son cooking classes, he….Needs to learn a lot”

“Allison chuckles, he’s not that bad” The girl affirms.

“I don’t know, he had change his cooking since…”

The woman stops short holding her spoon in midair. Allison knows the reason, she was about to say _“Since he is a monster”_

“I’m sorry I didn’t…”

“It’s okay, you’re right, Scott needs to learn, he has changed a lot and he still needs to find a way to get in control of his senses, I’m sure his food is so surly because his nose is stronger now”

“Yeah, I think you’re right” Mellissa McCall says too casually taking the spoon to her mouth.

Allison can feel the tension now, she hadn’t been too long here but since then, they hadn’t mention Scott’s condition at all. She suspects it has been this way the past six months. It must be something pretty uncomfortable for his…

Mellissa cracks in laughs suddenly.

“What…? Is everything…”

The woman shakes her head sunk a wave of giggles. “I’m so sorry honey, it’s just that was too formal”

“Formal?” Allison frowns.

“This is so surreal, I’m trying to stay calm and act as it is a common thing, like I have a gay son or something but…My son is a werewolf…It’s been six months for god sake! Why I can’t get used to it?”

Allison chews her bottom lip staring at Mrs. McCall with some empathy. She knows what she means. She can’t just hate her son for being something he can’t control, crap! There was is karma hidden somewhere in that thought.

Allison knows it, the woman is laughing not to cry. “Maybe, you could start by mentioning it occasionally, like oh honey I can’t find the mustard could you smell it for me?” She suggest with a smirk.

Mellissa stops laughing and stares at Allison sternly. Oh crap! She stepped over the line.

She cracks in laughs again. Louder this time. “You’re right, it could be good, I’m sorry. I really need to get used to it, he won’t change any time soon. Isn’t he?”

Allison shakes her head with a bitter small.

“Where is he by the way?” The woman says suddenly. “Don’t… Don’t tell me he is in trouble”

“No he is at… Dr. Deaton’s place”

“Deaton’s? Why?”

“He said he have some answers about the things that have been going on and I don’t….”

“He knows about all this mess?” Mellissa says impressed.

Allison nods.

“Why he didn’t tell me?”

“Well…I…”

“You know what? I’m really mad right now, your dad and Deaton knew about monsters and creatures for years and they never said a word to me”

“I…I guess they were trying to protect you” Allison says thoughtful.

“Protect me? I’m a cop! I’m supposed to be the one protecting people here! Now turns out that my bests friends are all badass except for me”

Allison chuckles.

“Simon… Simon knows about this too?”

“Simon?” Allison says confused.

“Stiles’ father” Mellissa explains.

“I…I don’t think so…Or at least that what Stiles thinks”

“That could explain why he doesn’t want to leave the town, maybe he knows something about that monster that attacked the hospital”

“Monster?” Allison gasps.

“Oh I’m sorry, it was supposed to be confidential information”

“What kind of monster you’re talk about?”

“They are not like werewolves, well at least not like the ones I have seen, they are scarier and at the same time they are human, they don’t fully change. I have only seen one, but there have been other two patients infected, the government is talking about a virus but I know is something else”

“Oh my god!” Says Allison shocked.

“It was the scariest day of my life, all that blood and people dismembered, he ate their limbs! Oh I’m sorry we’re having dinner…I’m so sorry honey I…”

“It’s alright” Allison affirms while she thinks…Human flesh, a human turned into a beast that feeds from human flesh… It could be any creature, many do it after all but there is something that doesn’t fit here…It is bugging her in the back of her mind…She recalls grabbing the book of binders one day months ago looking for werewolves, the creature, the creature… A now she knows the reason that is what she said to Lydia today, the Wendigos! But how….How did she now that beforehand? It is impossible…Unless…Unless Stiles somehow told her about.

God she is losing her head!

“Are you okay?” Mellissa asks with concern.

Allison nods. “Yeah I’m alright, I’m just tired”

“I can’t believe my teenage son is trapped in so much troubles, I mean what I am thinking? I’m his mom and he is underage! I can’t just leave him go to fight monsters and at the same time…I don’t know what do to or say, I feel like I have no right to stop him”

“You have your right, you’re his mom no matter what” Allison affirms. “But you must trust in him too, right now they are probably finding the way to get us all out of this mess”

“You think?” Mellissa asks biting her lip.

“I hope so” Allison replies and takes another spoonful.

…….

He knew it! He knew something like this would happen, why they didn’t listen to him?

Scott grits his teeth and balls his hands.

Stiles is lying on his back on a side of the jeep while Derek comes out of the pilot’s seat swiftly and lumbers against the shape on top of the truck.

Scott is approaching the truck when he feels and invisible force keeping him away from it, it is like running in an endless path.

A hand comes out of the wood line and grabs Stiles by the back of his hoodie.

“Are you okay?” Says Vernon dusting out Stiles.

“Vernon!” Stiles says shocked. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello boys” Says Erica’s voice suddenly and Scott’s blood starts running cold on his veins. They are here! Those bastards who fooled him and everyone months ago.

“Traitors!’ Scott roars cornering the truck and dashing to push Vernon away from Stiles with a kick.

“What you think you’re doing?” Stiles says angrily.

“They are the ones who killed those guys remember?” Scott glares at him.

“Look out!” Derek says at their backs.

Scott cranes his neck at the moment he sees how Erica takes one of the truck’s front rims and shove it straight at Scott and Stiles.

He grabs his best friend from his side and jumps into the road. He rolls on the floor and stands feeling a sharp object digging into his back. He pants and squats.

“You’re such a girl” Eric replies with a devilish grin on her red painted lips.

“Stiles!” Scott hears Derek call aloud. “Close it! You’re almost there”

Scott hurries to help Stiles to stand but Erica grabs him by the shoulder sinking her claws deep.

“You’re a bipedalist now?” He shots furiously trying to break free from her grasp, feeling how the blood starts pouring over his shirt.

“Oh honey! We’re more than that! We have our own packs now, we are alphas” The girl sniggers. “We’re stronger than you’ll ever be”

Damn it! She is right! Scott can’t stand a chance against her! She is too strong, and Vernon can’t help him. He is too busy fighting Vernon. He needs to think in a plan, like the ones Stiles is used to do. He needs to find a way to make her release him but how?

He tilts his head to the side, where Stiles is slowly rolling out of Erica’s sight to get back on the crumbled truck.

“Where you think you’re going?” Erica says with despise glaring at Stiles.

Scott takes his chance, takes a handful of dirt from the floor and blows it in front of her face.

She shrills! “What did you do you stupid pup?”

Scott breaks free and runs after Stiles. “Get out of here now!” He yells.

“No! I can’t go! I have to finish the line!”

 _Why you have to be so stubborn?_ Thinks Scott having a hard time to control with Stiles’ scent in the air.

“There is no time! You can die, don’t you get it?”

“If I succeed many lives will be saved!” Stiles replies breaking free from Scott’s grasp to run back the truck.

“Come back here!” Scott hears Eric cry but he has no time to react, another figure is now over him. It is a man, no a wolf, a hybrid, wild and scary scratching his whole body with its sharp needles while Scott struggles to not let its massive fangs to reach his face.

He punches it in the stomach and sends it flying backwards when he spots another bipedalist standing in the wood line. He knows what the wolf is by the way he moves trees aside using just a finger…Such control… It is unnatural!

“Leave something for me” Says the blonde bipedalist with a mocking grin on his face.

“Come and get it!” Scott roars dashing toward him, passing next to Isaac who is strangle-holding the hybrid and Jackson who is running to join Derek against Vernon.

“Oh come on! I want something better than a pup, I can see your milk fangs from here” Laughs the bipedalist.

“I will show you of what I’m capable, I’m sick of all of you!” Scott growls furiously and then he hears it. A sharp a painful cry. Stiles!

Scott cranes his neck.

“I should have done this the first time I met you” Erica says delighted and then sinks her nails inside Stiles’ throat and slash it in a single flick of her wrist.

Stiles falls down on the floor making scary noises until he stops moving.

“Stiles!” Scott cries trying to run after him but it is too late he is…

“I will show you what I’m…” He is saying and then snaps. He is facing the bipedalist… What the….?

“I should have…” Erica is saying.

_Déjà vu?_

She won’t allow it! It will be different this time!

Before she has time to finish her sentence Scott is sending her away with a kick in the stomach. She cries and falls feet away from them.

He is alive! Stiles is alive! But how?

“You’re okay!” Scott mutters openmouthed, holding back his tears, helping friend stand with his trembling hands.

“Scott…S” Stiles starts.

A snarl. Not just a snarl. A very distinctive one.

Scott jerks his head to his left and finds it. The wending comes out of the wood pushing away everyone on its way.

“It’s my chance! I have to finish the fertility line” Stiles says running away from Scott.

“Stiles wait! You can’t do this on your own!’

“I have to do it” The boy cries from his back.

Scott spots him taking a handful of graveyard dirt from the pile spread because of the truck’s sudden accident.

The Wendigo is now over him. Scott steps back and prepares to attack it, there must be a way to take it down. It can’t be that hard! Everything it this world has to die eventually.

He breaths in and lungs against the best, but before he has time to react the monster jerks its head as following his nose toward….

“Stiles!” Scott yells.

His friend turns on his heels openmouthed trying to protect his face with his hand while the Wendigo swings a massive arm to tear him apart.

Scott jumps but the monster shrills and is sent flying back. Scott ducks it before it lands over him but it keeps going backwards until it lands on its back several feet away.

Scott looks at Stiles who looks back at him as confused as he probably is.

“What the hell was that?” Says Jackson joining Scott.

“I don’t know I think it was…” Scott is saying when Stiles suddenly passes next to them.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Jackson shouts.

Stiles saunters around the beast and stops facing the forest.

“It’s the dirt…” Scott mutters shocked. “Is the dirt”

Stiles punches the best in its back with the hand holding the blessed dirt. They hear an explosion while a wild wind burst from all direction and the best is sucked in the woods as if it was struck by a giant punch.

It disappears into the night but Scott can hear now the threes falling where it probably landed.

“Motherfucking boy!” Eric roars lumbering at Stiles who is still standing still watching at his hands with his jaw dropped.

Scott takes his chance and grabs her by the back of her neck.

“Let me go!” She screeches.

“I’ll do it, don’t worry” Scott replies using all his strength to send her back to the forest.

When she falls Scott spots Vernon running toward her. “Erica! Are you ok?” The boy asks with concern.

Jackson leaves Scott to approach Stiles.

“Dude that was…”

“Look out don’t touch me!” Scott’s best friend says quirkily, like the dumb boy he has always been. “I’m sorry it’s just, I don’t know what will happen if you touch me right now”

“He will probably end up with his ass in the moon” Isaac chuckles joining them.

“No, I’m like a line right now, you just can’t touch me, but if I try to hurt you… Well, that’s another story, whatever you do stay away from my punches” The boy cracks in laughs.

“What are you talking about? We won!” Says Jackson cheerful.

“Not yet” Stiles grunts and runs to the other side of the road where Derek is laying on his back below the feet of the bipedalist.

“The descendant of Loki, the most wanted wolf in the world, the great Derek Hale, not much than a waste of sweat, I want my time back” The bipedalist laughs stepping harder on Derek’s neck.

“Leave him alone” Stiles warns him.

The bipedalist slowly tilts his head toward Stiles. Scott, Isaac and Jackson stand next to him. “Are you seriously threatening me boy?” Laughs.

“I….Yes I am” Stiles replies steadying his voice.

The blonde werewolf holds a laugh. “A human?”

“I sent your friends back where they belong” Stiles arches a brow daringly.

“Stiles I don’t think…” Jackson starts but he shuts up as the bipedalist lungs against them.

Scott dashes to meet him but he gracefully dodges him and stops in front of Stiles scratching his chin thoughtful. “A binder” Says with sarcasm. “A teenage binder that thinks that he stands a chance against…” He stops short and opens his eyes wide while his nose starts moving almost by itself.

“What… What are…?” He starts but Derek cuts him off.

“None of your business” The pack leader growls taking the bipedalist from his back but he quickly let himself go. “Don’t tell you seriously thought that…”

Another explosion sound and the bipedalist falls over Eric and Vernon moaning. “I… I…”

Stiles walks toward them slowly and releases the dirt on the ground before them to close the line.

“You will be a great wolf boy! I can’t wait for the Fenrir to give you the bite” The bipedalist says rapidly as he stands facing them from his new cage.

“What are you talking about?” Scott demands standing next to Stiles.

“Do you smell it?” He laughs despitefully.

“There are stories” Isaac says sternly at Scott’s back. “They say that you can know who could be a good werewolf by their scent”

“He will be a great addition to our pack” The bipedalist affirms with glowing eyes.

“I don’t think so” Stiles laughs. “Now that you and your Fenrir are trapped you….”

The wolf laughs. “I’m trapped, but he isn’t”

“What…What do you mean?” Scott says dreadful.

“Are you really think we’re living the woods? What do you think we are savages?”

What? They aren’t…They aren’t….? No!

“You just trapped a few of us. The rest is in the town with you, and when the time comes, the Fenrir will release us and you binder boy will be ours”

He licks his lips and disappears in the darkness followed by Eric and Vernon.

…..

There is something weird going on here, what was that noise? Chris is not sure, it was like threes falling. He shakes his head and takes a piece of roasted hare from the fire. He can’t believe he is alive. Who is that She wolf? She seems familiar somehow, was she pass of the Council? No, She looks too young.

“Hello handsome” He recalls she Said hours ago when they met.

“Who are you?” He asked pointing at her head with his guns. “What do you want?”

She grinned. “I came here to invite you to a party Christopher, l have two friends that have told me a lot about you for they can’t want to see you”

She meant… Damn it! He knew they were alive!

“So…”He starts sternly. “You heard the stories?"

She nodded

He chuckled "Well, I don't like to be cocky but...They are all true"

Chris gripped tight his guns and Shot frantically against the woman.

She recoiled and swiftly ducked all the bullets as if it was just child's game.

"You are good" He said glaring at her.

"I'm more than good, I'm a bipedalist"

“Bipedalist, Fenrir. Three eyed devil. I don’t Care, I’m gonna send you to hell anyway.

She snorted. “Don’t make me laugh” She stepped forward. “You are just an old Silver who can’t even bind a meal to not starve to death.

“If you think so why don’t you finish me now?”

She Shook he head. “That would be too easy, if I take you with them now they will rip your throat out too easily and that wouldn’t be fun at all.”

She was a sadist for sure.

“And….” She ok added starting to Step back. “I’m curious to know how are for doing to hide your scent from us”

“I guess I’ll die with my secret” He chuckled.

“We will see that”

And said so she vanished.

Chris takes another bite and swallows slowly while grimaces.at is a little burned. No food I no phone, no Alisson. He misses his daughter, now the idea of running away again doesn’t seem that crazy.

He takes a look at the Nagnitia mushrooms that grow inside the cave, he is so lucky to find them here, if it wasn’t for them the Fenrir and those morons would have found him. That Scott boy is clever, he chose this place to hide his mother and Alisson months ago beaus he knew the traitors wouldn’t be able to catch their scents inside this cave.

Chris sighs. Damn bipedalist. He thinks and sighs, he I s danger but while his daughter is well protected he doesn’t mind what might happen to her       

…….

When Scott got home last night she was already asleep, so she doesn’t know what they have talked to Deaton, She wants to know, and confirm her theory of knowing about the Wendigos beforehand.

Sadly Scott is falling asleep in his chair at the back of the classroom and the physics class is about to end Stiles is just a couples of seats away from her, so she could talk to him as soon as the class is over, it will be time for Mrs. Greenberg class after all, and since the woman is sick they will have a free hour to chat unless Harris decides to come early and then lives miserable as usual.  

“Alright guys I’ll see you in or next class for the exam “Says the physics’ teacher happily before leaving. This is her chance! She stands up before Lydia comes up with one of her great ideas and Alisson ends up in trapped in the mall again and walks toward stiles’ seat.

“Hi” she says with a grin.

“Oh hey” replies listlessly, he looks pretty tired

“So… “She starts casually. “Did you guys talked to Deaton yesterday? Because something we’d happened to me when I was. . .”

“Alison not here” Stiles mutters looking at both sides frightened though thought their spark Alisson Can feel that he is dying to ten her something… Something good! Good news! Finally Some good news!

“Relax, we can talk freely, everyone is leaving already, is time of Greenberg’s class and since she is sick I think we can have some spare time to…

“Everybody sit drown please, my name is…” She hears a man’s voice say at her back.

Alisson turns on her heels embarrassed and disappointed when she meets her eyes with the ones of the man standing before her. It’s him! The guy from the mall, the same one she saw talking with the principal. She doesn’t know why but… He looks so…

“Excuse me miss, would you mind to take a seat?” He asks frowning at her.

Allison blushes and looks around most of her classmates are sniggering with their eyes fixed on her, except for Lydia who is busier stripping their new teacher with her eyes.

“I’m… I’m sorry” Alisson says trudging back to her seat.

The class state normally, they stay there staring at the man in silence talking about how many good books are out there to read and how young people should read more. She might be a little paranoid but she can swear he looks strength at her every six minutes.

His green eyes, aren’t just beautiful but… oddly familiar, as is she had. . .

“Alisson!” Lydia calls aloud snapping he fingers before Alisson’s eyes.

“Uh?”

“The class is over, stop drooling and let’s go” says her friend with a giggle.

“I’m… not… I’m not drooling”

“Yeah, Yeah whatever you say honey” Lydia replies incredulously walking out of the class followed by Alisson.      

“Excuse me miss” She hears the man’s voice calling at their backs.

Alisson turns embarrassed. “Are you talking to me?” She asks through she knows the answer beforehand.

“Can you wait a minute? I need to have a convention with you”

Allison’s heart gives a hop. What would he want to talk to her? She cranes her neck toward Lydia who’s staring at her openmouthed.

Alisson nods waits for everyone to leave Scott and Stiles included, damn it! As soon as everyone is out the air becomes heavy.

“Come here” He orders.

With Shaky hands Alisson approaches him slowly, they meet their eyes and he grins “Your last name is Argent isn’t it?”

Alisson quickly kicks him in the chest. Damn it! She has no weapons with her! What is she going to do now? She runs as the door but it is too late, his hand is on her hair and a knife at her throat.  

“Now, you’ll do everything I say, okay?”

 


	21. Trust

#  **TRUST**

 

She is in danger. That is the first thing that comes to his mind as soon as he steps in the sidewalk to go home.

His heart gives a lurch and he looks around.

He can feel it. The spark burning inside his chest, crying at his hear. She needs help. She needs him….But how…? Everything looks so calm. The students are walking out of the school. They are climbing in their cars, getting in the bus or just striding away, everyone looks as happy as they are every day after long day, but despite that nothing is out of ordinary.

The spark burst harder in his chest and he hauls air in his lungs. He starts pushing people aside. They need to let him in, Allison is in danger, but why? The Fenrir didn’t attack before on daylight and less in a crowded place, why he is doing it now? Where is Scott? Where is Isaac and Jackson? They should be here.

He tugs out his phone and dials Scott’s number but there isn’t answer.

God! What is he going to do know?

He keeps trying, but it doesn’t matter how many times he taps the number, his best friend just won’t answer.

 _It is okay Stiles_ He says in his mind, he fought bravely last night, he still can’t believe he got rid of the Wendigo and Eric all by himself. He managed to face and defeat the scariest creatures in the world. He succeed where Scott or even Mr. Cocky ass Derek Hale couldn’t.

He can do this. He can save her, or at least try it.

He closes his eyes and holds his breath to clear his mind and read his throbbing chest. Left… at his left, on the way to the gym. But…Something is not right here. As long as he walks he realizes where his feet are taking him. It is the English class, where they were just a couple of minutes ago, having their first class with the substitute teacher. Is Allison still there? What is she…?

The spark burns a hole in him and he pants. She is right here, he can feel it. It is like the night of the first Wendigo, somehow their bond is working like a compass for him and again have led him to her.

He cranes his neck toward the left and he spots her. She is at the other side of the corridor accompanied by…By the English teacher.

“Allison!” He calls aloud.

The girl quickly spins but then she stops short and Stiles chest stiches. He is not sure if because of her or if he is feeling her.

He runs to meet them.

“Hello” Says the teacher staring at Stiles with interest. “Have you any questions about my class Mr.…”

“Stilinski” Replies Stiles with shaky voice, though he isn’t sure if it is Allison or him who is making him feel so anxious.

“Any questions Mr. Stilinski?”

Stiles shakes his head.

“Then why…”

“I need to talk to Allison” He says sternly.

“I’m afraid…” The man starts but Stiles cuts him off, he is not sure how to talk to her and tell her that he felt her without gave off the fact that they have a weird and magical bond.

“Allison I received your text, I think we should…”

“I’m alright” Allison replies quickly.

What? But… “Allison I thought we were going to study…”

“It’s alright Mr. Stilinski, Miss Argent and I must discus some of her works, I’m sure you can catch up in an hour or two, but this conversation must be addressed as soon as possible”

What is he talking about? Is he one of them? He has to be but then….Why Allison is calmed all suddenly?

“You just got here how is that you already have things to discus with her about class?” He demands arching a brow.

The man smirks courteously “Mrs. Greenberg left me detailed instructions about Miss Argent, apparently she is quite a good writer, and your teacher was more than interest in getting her in the drama club”

Allison and Stiles crane their necks toward the man blinking, is that it? Really?

“I will be more than please that have you in the drama club Mr. Stilinski but for now if you excuse me Miss Argent and I have a conversation awaiting”

Stiles stands there openmouthed, he doesn’t know what do to. It is truth that Allison is calmer now, but why she was so scared just seconds ago? None of this makes sense.

“Allison you look…” He starts hoping she could give him another sign. Tell him if things are really okay or they aren’t.

“Upset?” The man arches a brow. “I bet you all will be soon, sadly for you I’ll be your permanent English teacher your friend Allison is so upset because I just gave her the sad news”

Sad news…Sad news! “Mrs. Greenberg…”

“I’m afraid she passed an hour ago Mr. Stilinski, yet, the principal still doesn’t want the students to know, so it would help if you don’t tell anyone yet. I don’t want to get in trouble on my first day”

Mrs. Greenberg is dead! She is dead! But…How? Was it the Fenrir and his pack?

“Miss Argent and I will have our conversation know if you don’t mind”

Stiles sighs and looks at his friend. “Allison”

“I’ll be fine” Says the girl with some hesitation and she turns on her heels.

He hopes she is right, she sounds like she is right of her words, but what was all that then?

…….

He slowly reaches the next branch and makes sure to not make any sound. It’s been hours of hard work, but he finally found them…He couldn’t believe he didn’t think about this from the beginning, it would be to expect that they wouldn’t respect private property.

It is Derek’s cabin. They are inside. He is not sure how of many of them are there but as far as he knows there are at least five, maybe three more.

From his point of view all he can see is a couch. The window is a little opaque so he is not sure if there is someone standing before it or if it is just a stain in the glass. He stares at it intently, it hadn’t move since he put his eyes on it but, he is too far too get a clean view.

They can’t smell him but they can definitely hear him, so he must be careful not to stand in the wrong place and give off his location. This is a suicidal mission but this is the best he can do for now. He must hear which are they plans to get and strategy and take them down before it is too late, if only those morons and the Fenrir were down in the cabin, he would put an end to all this once and for all.

He reaches another branch making sure to not make any sound, and now he can hear something, a conversation not too far. He is standing in an uneven and slender branch that almost touches the top of the roof. Whoever is speaking are doing it in Derek’s room.

He leans carefully and pressed his ear against the ratty wood hoping he can get at least a little of their conversation.

“Damn it!” A masculine voice says in a grunt. “Did you check twice?”

“There is no way out” Confirms another man’s voice.

“How was it possible?” The first voice says.

“I’m not sure, Erica and Vernon went there alone with Theodore and the Wendigo. They should have been able to stop them”

“They failed of course” The first voice growls. “What are we going to do now trapped in this damn forest?”

“Even if we weren’t trapped here we are still stuck until we find Argent”

“I don’t give a shit about Argent. Damien, Jesse and Marcus are the ones who want him. I have no business with an old and useless binder”

“They want him to pay”

“I don’t care, I feel useless in this forest. Damien needs me in the town, I should be finding Deaton and reaping his throat for drawing this line”

“It wasn’t Deaton” The second voice corrects.

“What? Are you sure it wasn’t Deaton?”

“Deaton is a coward, he wouldn’t dare to directly attack us”

“It is impossible, only he could make a line of this size”

“Apparently not, according to Theodore Derek has a binder of his own, a boy”

“Are you telling me that an underage boy was able to cast such a strong line?”

Chris frowns…A boy? Could it be Stiles? What are they talking about?”

“He sent the Wendigo flying, even Theodore couldn’t stand a chance against him”

Really? He took down a Bipedalist? How is it possible?

“He is good with the lines, the dirt protects him even without making a circle. He is strong”

“This can’t be possible”

“They saw him, he is really strong and rare, and Theodore says that his scent is overwhelming, he wants to take him to Damien”

There are only four binders in the whole town, one of them is his daughter. The others are Simon’s son, Deaton and Marin. Deaton and Marin wouldn’t interfere directly in wolves’ matters and they said it was a boy…That boy Stiles, he is becoming a threat for the werewolves and the Fenrir, he just hopes Allison isn’t involved in all this. In other hand, that boy was able to cast a protection in the woods, to close them, it sounds stupid. Chris wasn’t the best in cycles when he was in training but he knows about the burden. He knows how hard is for a binder to cast a line of fertility as big as a house. How did this boy managed to do such thing with the whole town? He can use this on his favor. Now that the forest is closed, is the safest place in miles. Maybe he should get rid of this morons and then bring Allison here to keep her safe as long as the protection lasts.

…….

He didn’t let her speak during their trip. She looking around as they passed by the streets, trying to find a way to scape but at the same time something told her to stay quiet and not try anything stupid. She isn’t even sure how she managed to calm herself to send Stiles away and keep him out of trouble.

He stops the car outside a house that seems abandoned and old, as if it hadn’t been habited in a long time.

He make her signs to get inside without trying to do anything stupid. Allison curses in her insides and regrets not having a weapon with her. She should have known that not even the school hallways are safe now.

He opens the door for her and she gets inside slowly. They are in a small receiver with bleached walls, fifthly windows and dusty floors. The place is mostly empty, there is only a couch in the living room in which he orders her to sit. From her point of view she can see a table in the dining room but that’s all.

“Can I offer you a coke?” He asks politely as if she is nothing more than a guest in his home.

She shakes her head.

“A coffee?” He suggests.

“What are you going to do with me?” She demands with a cold stare, she might be still a little afraid, but she will fight till the end.

“I just want to ask you a couple of questions and then you’re free to go” He says calmly and Allison isn’t sure how but…She knows he’s telling the truth.

“Ask then” She urges him.

“Why you didn’t ask help to your friend?”

Allison chews her bottom lip and clears her throat. “The way you talked” She explains.

“What about it?” He arches a brow as he squints at her.

“You managed to find a lie for everything he asked, you spoke fast and yet convincingly, you were trained for it, you’re used to lie and feel comfortable with it. You’re a binder don’t you?” She says sternly meeting his green eyes with interest.

“So you decided to risk your life just to prove you’re right?” He says impressed.

“Who are you?” She demands.

“That isn’t important now. I’m more interest in knowing who you are”

Allison blinks thoughtfully. What does he mean? He brought her here and he doesn’t even know who she is? She thought he planned this, but why would he bother to kidnap her when he doesn’t even know who she is? “What…What do….What do you mean?”

“Your last name” He points out with piercing eyes.

“What about it?” She says not getting what he means.

“You can’t be an Argent. Because to be an Argent you should be my daughter or Chris’”

“Un….Uncle Jeremy?”

The man doesn’t move a bit, neither nods. He just stares at her with calculating eyes. Can it be him? Really? But…How? This is impossible! Her dad has been looking for him all this months without any success.

Allison squints. Is this the reason his eyes look so familiar? God she can’t even remember his face right. She was so young the last time she saw him, but now…She can notice some resembles on his features, he kind of remind her of her dad but just a bit, he has the saw square jaw and green eyes but he…

“You look too young to be my uncle” She shots without detaching her eyes from him.

He smirks “And you look too alive to be my niece”

What….What does he mean? “What are you talking about?”

“I have only one niece called Allison and she died twelve years ago”

…….

They are in the hotel’s lobby. Scott can’t help noticing the anxiety in the air. People are scared. They know something is going on in the town though is quite sure of what is exactly going on. With his wolf’s ears he can hear all kind of hushes and whispers. There are rumors of an internet blackout. Many say that all kind of communications have been cut. Some talk about a serial killer who escaped prison and now is slaughtering the town.

There is a talk not too far from them of a couple of old men speaking of war and terrorism. According to them the whole country is under attack and they are using biological weapons against citizens.

Everyone have their own theories but at the end all of them meet in the same place. The people in the town is scared.

“Scott!” Isaac urges him in a hush.

He snaps and blinks. “Sorry, what you were saying?” He asks embarrassed.

“I was saying that we need to be more careful now that we know that they are inside the town” Derek grunts glaring at him.

Scott nods. “But what can we do know? Should we track them? Set them a trap?”

“A trap?” Jackson frowns at him with a shiny look on his eyes.

“We need more pack members! That’s what we need!” Isaac protests in a whisper.

Derek sets his jaw. “We have no time to train new wolves”

“Then we’re going to die!” Isaac spits with despise

“If you’re so afraid to die to should go with your friends now that they are back in town” Says a familiar voice and Scott feels the disturbing scent in the air and cranes his neck at his left.

“What are you doing here?” Derek demands looking at Stiles with hatred.

Scott has been sloppy. Stile’s scent is so strong you could feel it a mile away and yet he has been so busy eavesdropping he didn’t notice that he was on his way.

“I was looking for you and then I recalled you gave me this address the other day” Stiles replies sternly taking a seat next to Jackson.

“You shouldn’t be here” Scott says with gritted teeth. He has to make a big effort to not gag. There is lump in his throat, he saw Stiles die last night, he saw his blood and tasted it in the air. It was so scary and disturbing and yet he is now right here sitting with them as if nothing happened.

He talked about with Jackson and Isaac this morning at school, he told them but… Both of them said they didn’t see anything, and it is true. If Eric would have ripped Stiles’ throat he would be dead for sure. What is happening to Scott? He can’t get it but it is almost as if he… He saw it before it happened.

“You got to be kidding me” Stiles scoffs. “None of you would be here if it wasn’t for me”

“How humble of you” Derek snorts.

“Jesus!” Stiles rolls his eyes. “Why can’t you admit that you need me?”

Derek shifts in his seat. “Because we don’t need you”

Stiles sighs and stares at Scott but he looks away. “He’s right Stiles, you have no business here” He affirms.

“You saw what happened last night! I fought! I can do it! I can be useful for you, we can do this”

“Don’t say stupid things, just take a look at you” Derek grunts.

“I might be skinny and just human but…”

“Shut the fuck, everyone is going to hear you” Isaac reminds them.

Stiles’ cheeks burn and he glances down embarrassed. “I’m sorry” He mutters. “But you know I’m right, I can fight”

“You can’t fight” Scott grumbles. “You’re just a stupid kid who thinks he is a super hero but you’re nothing, you’re just a burden to all of us. We couldn’t fight freely last night because everyone was too busy trying to keep you alive”

He hates himself for those words, but he’s tired of it. He needs to keep Stiles out of this before his premonitory nightmare becomes true and he ends on knees crying over his best friend’s body. He wouldn’t be able to stand it, he would rather die in his place.

Stiles looks up and his eyes and Scott’s meet. He can see the pain in the eyes of the boy. Scott has said so many hurtful things the last days but he has no choice. He can’t let them hurt Stiles, he will first kill them all before letting that happen.

“I can take any of you” Stiles assures.

“Stop acting like you have everything under control Monkey, you know you’re as scared as us all. Those were just three wolves. What are you going to do when a thousand werewolves and a Fenrir goes after you? What are you going to do when an army of Wendigos try to rip your throat?”

Everyone shuts and now all of them stare at Stiles with intently eyes. He can feel Stiles’ anxiety, he doesn’t know what to reply and he is furious because he wants to prove them wrong.

“I…”

“What are you going to do if they success? Tell us your plan to kill the unstoppable creature” Asks Scott with sarcasm hoping it is enough to keep them out of their business.

Stiles looks at all of them looking for help. “I can look in…”

“Go home” Derek advises. “And release the line of the woods, you look like shit”

“I don’t…”

Scott notices it now…Stiles looks scrawnier than usual, his skin is even paler and the bags below his eyes…Is his spell doing this to him? Now he recalls Deaton’s words about the toll it would imply on him.

Stiles stands “You’re all mad. You need me! If it wasn’t for me you all would be dead by now”

“If it wasn’t for you none of this would be happening” Scott replies drily while he does his best not to cry. He stepped over the line, but he can’t unsay his words now.

 _Just go Stiles just go_ He begs in his mind while he stares at his best friend with hatred.

Stiles gaps and then looks at them all with wide eyes.

He swallows and Scott can hears his strong heartbeat choking him, yet Stiles pretends to not be overwhelmed and with the last of his dignity he leaves.

…….

She got his text at ten and yet she couldn’t make until now. There have been frightened people in the town limits claiming to be freed. Things are starting to get messy. There are some citizens that say that they can’t communicate with the outside and saying that the government is blocking the communications to not let anyone know what is happening in Beacon Hills. It is scary to think about it. How serious thing might get?

She gets inside and even though there is a usual line of people concerned that they might be infected with the virus things look pretty normal.

The guards in the doors might be asking themselves why she comes so often, but she doesn’t care. She has no time for them, she needs to talk to Simon as soon as possible, their future and their children depends on what he might tell her now.

She walks down the hallway a little hesitant. It doesn’t matter how many times she comes back here, she still sees that man in her mind, lumbering at her. Ready to rip her throat with that clawed hand and those vicious and scary glowing red eyes.

“Are you okay?” Simon asks showing up next to her suddenly.

Mellissa’s heart gives a little hop and she sighs as soon as she recognizes him.

“I’m fine, just too much work” She admits with a grin.

“I heard about what is going on. It doesn’t matter how much they try to make things look normal. People knows that something is not right here” He says with disappointment in his voice.

Mellissa just nods and follows him to his consult. “Is it safe to speak here?” She asks looking around.

“Is fine, we’re not plotting to take down the government or anything, we’re just friends talking about our lives” He clarifies with a smirk.

“But what about Julie’s companions? They won’t detach their eyes from me, I think they know we’re up to something”

“Don’t worry, they will think that we are having an affair, you know how the nurses are” He chuckles with some embarrassment.

Melissa blushes…She…Can’t believe those women are seriously considering that… No! That’s so out of the place! Simon is her best friend. That’s all. “So…What…What did you want to tell me?” She asks a little nervous.

He takes off his glasses and takes a deep breath. “Something definitely weird is going on”

“What do you mean?”

“One of the nurses is on charge of taking Julie her meals, and she has been able to take a quick look to her notes” He explains with some concern on her voice.

“So what? What did she find? Is this all a weird experiment or something like it?”

“I’m not sure” He admits scratching his chin. “There is a weird pattern in the victims”

 _Victims_. She repeats in her mind. He is starting to admit that isn’t about just a virus. “A pattern?” Frowns thoughtfully.

“All the people that got infected were athletes”

“Athletes?”

“I checked their histories. All of them did exercise, got healthy lives, none of them got any pathologies, no asthma, not diabetes, nothing”

Mellissa gaps. This doesn’t make any sense.

“And that’s not all, they got more in common” He whispers.

“What else?”

“All of them got B positive as blood type”

“B positive? Why?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not sure, but it looked like the virus just…”

“I don’t Simon. This is all so weird. Healthy people getting infected with a virus? Why all they got the same blood type? Why only healthy people?”

“What are you suggesting?” He asks with frustration.

“This has to be something else, it sounds like an experiment. There is no other explanation why the virus is so selective with its victims, it is like it has a mind of its own. I don’t think there is a virus”

“I would agree with you if it wasn’t because…” His voice trails off.

What? What happened now? Has things changed?

“There was a case of woman, a teacher”

“What happened to her?” Mellissa sits and tries to breath. He has to know the truth. She needs to sit with him and Scott and tell Simon all the truth of what is going on in the town and at the same time ask her son about this _“Virus”_ and discover if he knows something about it. He got home late last night. God she fears for his life and at the same time she feels like she doesn’t have authority anymore to tell him what to do or give him curfews.

“She got all the symptoms. The sudden hair growing in the body, a self-destructive behavior, he tried to attack the nurses and even her skeleton changed a little through the days”

“But…” Mellissa bits her lip fearing his answer.

“She didn’t fit in the profile of the other infected, she wasn’t B positive and she didn’t get the most flawless immune system”

Mellissa opens her eyes wide. This means…

“That’s not all. Most of the infected lasted just a couple of hours before bursting in blood in their beds. She lasted almost a week and her body is intact”

“So…” She starts swallowing hard.

“So the virus is muting” Simon sighs with frightened voice. “Now everyone can get infected”

…….

“What do you mean by dead?” Allison asks feeling her chest throbbing.

“You died” He says confused and looking around as if trying to find the answer to all that mess.

Allison follows his eyes to the dirty and opaque windows and sees the orange light.

“The sun is setting” He whispers thoughtfully.

A phone rings. Her phone rings. Allison’s heart gives a lurch and she breaths, now she notices that she has been holding her breath and now her phone is reconnecting her with the real world.

“Aren’t you going to pick that?” He asks calmer now.

Allison shoves her hands in her pockets quickly to not let him know how nervous she is feeling right now.

“Hello?” She says hesitantly.

“Allison!” Says Stiles voice with relief. “I was so concerned, I thought you were in trouble”

Allison looks at her…Uncle and he beckons her with his eyes.

“I’m fine. He just wanted to talk to me about the drama club”

“Are you at Scott’s place?” The voice asks at the other side of the line and she notices some upset tune on his voice. Did something happen?

“Not yet, I’m on my way now” She says hoping she is right. She is scared after all, there is too much information she must process and she is afraid this man can be lying to her but…How? He knows things about her she doesn’t even know herself, like the fact that she is supposedly to be dead.

“Alright, let me now when you’re back. I need to talk to you”

He cuts the call and Allison chews her bottom lip. What does he want to talk about? What could have happened? Is this about the spark? It is odd but they hadn’t talk about it since the night it all started months ago. It is unbelievable but always something happen, they are always in danger and have no time to discuss their weird bond, it have been increasing its strength lately. She can swear she has been in his mind the past days and he felt her fear earlier this morning. It is like its growing fast.

“Are you alright?” Jeremy Argent asks with concern.

Allison nods. “I’m fine, I’m just too confused right now. What do you mean with I should be dead?”

“There is no time” He replies setting his jaw. “The sun is setting, they might come after me anytime soon. I need you to tell me where your dad is” He urges her.

Allison hesitates. “I…”

“Allison please, we are all in danger. I came here because your dad left me a message telling me that the town was taken, I need to find him before it is too late”

What is she going to do? Can she really trust this man? She can’t help feeling afraid and at the same time some relief. She can’t remember him because she was too young the last time she saw him but at the same time she feels at home right now. She feels like she finally found someone who speaks her same language, someone who understands how serious all this issue is and he also said that he received her dad’s message.

But she doesn’t know where her dad is.

“I’m sorry. He didn’t tell me” She blushes. “It was too risky, he wanted me to stay out of all this. He just say he was going to look for me when it was all over”

“This can’t be possible” He grunts. “There has to be a way to contact him. I’m risking my life coming here, he can’t just make me come and then vanish”

“We can find him. I guess we can sort thing out” She assures.

“There is no time” He grumbles. “The sun is setting. They might come for me tonight, you need to hide. Where are you staying? I’ll drive you home”

“I…” She balls her hands. She doesn’t know what to do. “I’m staying at one of my dad friend’s home. I can take the bus from here, there is no need for you to take me”

“Are you sure?”

She nods.

“You could stay with me. I can find a place to hide you until we find your dad”

Staying with her uncle! It sounds like…The best option. That’s what her dad would want but all her weapons are at Scott’s and she barely knows this man and she still doesn’t know if she can trust him.

“I can’t just come here. I don’t know you how can I know if I can trust you when you don’t answer my questions?”

He blinks and then sighs. “Alright, go home know. If I survive this night I’ll tell you everything you want to know and then we’re gonna find your dad”

She smirks feeling better now. “Okay” She nods. “I’ll see you tomorrow then”

She walks to the door and he speaks. “Allison?”

“Yeah?”

“No one can know about this okay?”

She nods and tightens her grip on her bag. A chill runs down her spine. He said she should be dead. Why?

…….

It is night already. He shouldn’t be walking down all by himself. One of the evil werewolves might show up and the least he wants now is trouble. He can’t believe Scott and those assholes! After all the things he did last night and how he saved their lives they just threw him away like garbage. Even Derek! He should have known that he thought he was useless, he has always treated Stiles like a useless human after all. But this is it. He’s not going to help them or do anything for them anymore, if they want to die so desperately then he is going to let them. He should have listened to Deaton from the beginning and stay out of their way, they are nothing but trouble. Even Scott.

He misses his car. If he had his jeep this trip home would he shorter and quicker. He still a couple of blocks away from the bus stop and is starting to grow tired of always walking home, if only his dad wasn’t mad at him he would fix his car, but he can’t do anything about it for now.

He should hurry up. His dad might be on his way home, or he has double shift tonight? He can’t remember. They barely talk lately. Anyway, he better get home and prepare dinner just in case he shows up.

A thunder blasts the air and he looks up. There wasn’t a lightning he is sure of it and yet…

He approaches the bench of the bus stop. There are a couple of women with children talking about rumors of a virus in the town.

Another blast…Did he…? Did he hear well?

“Did you hear that?” One of the women says looking up.

“Yeah…” Starts her friend confused. “It was like a thunder but…”

There is another loud crack.

“It sounds like a thunder but…”

It happens again.

Stiles cranes his neck to his back. Just a couple of blocks away is the wood line. Now he recalls the previous night. That sound… Someone is trying to break his barrier.

Stiles stands and starts walking away from the bus stop. When he’s sure there is no one around he starts jogging and then dashing toward the wood line. His body resents his run quickly. Derek is right, the fertility line has a toll on him. He can feel like he has a massive weigh on his back. He has to make a big effort to stay straight and not bend.

He spots the dark forest just a couple of feet away from the street and the thunder cracks again.

He snaps his head toward the darkness and peeks, but he can’t see anything. Who is there? Don’t know those assholes that the barrier is unbreakable? Derek told him to break it, but it is useful, at least a bit. Maybe the biggest part of the pack is in the town, but at least he managed to trap Erica, Vernon, the Wendigo and that other werewolf in there. It could be useful somehow and yet…They are trying to break free.

He stops before the line he drawn himself the night before and cracks in loud laughs. He is really mad right now and maybe he can’t kick Scott and Derek’s asses but at least he can make fun of those stupid trapped morons for believing they can stand a chance against him.

“What happen? Are you…”

A cry. He hears a cry.

His heart sink. It is a child’s voice. There is no mistake.

Stiles steps ahead and feels how his ears clog like it happened last December at Deaton’s place. What the hell is he doing? It could be a trap!

A sobbing. There is a kid sobbing somewhere in the woods.

“Hello?” He calls aloud afraid of what might happen to him. He doesn’t have anything to protect himself right now. If this is trap he is lost.

“Hello?” He repeats walking slowly as the sound of the cries increases.

He climbs the seeped ground making sure not to step on a twig and give off his location that easily and then he spots him.

There is a little boy lying on the ground next to an oak rubbing his eyes with his tiny hands as he sobs. What is he doing there?

“Hello?” He says again.

The kid quickly jerks and stands starting to run away.

“Hey! Wait!” Stiles calls at his back.

“No! Please no!” The kid shouts as he keeps running.

“Come here! I won’t hurt you!”

“Mommy!” The child keeps crying aloud. He trips with something and falls to the floor.

Stiles takes his chance and lungs fast to him.

He is the ground holding his scrapped leg. Is a boy of six years old approximately. He has a golden hair all dirty and with twigs and legs tangled. His eyes are light blue with a red line around for the sobbing. His clothes are ragged and torn everywhere, stained with dirt and…Dried blood.

“Are you? Are you okay?” Stiles says gently and a little overwhelmed.

The kid keeps crying without looking at him.

“Hey! It’s okay, I’m a friend I promise”

“I can’t find my mommy” The boy says in a sob.

“It’s okay, you’re fine” Stiles assures. “I’ll find your mommy”

The boy snivels a little and then looks up at Stiles. “You know where my mommy is?”

Stiles shakes his head. “I don’t…We’ll find her!” He promises.

“I’m hungry” The boy says shaking.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you a hamburger and chocolate milk, do you like hamburgers and chocolate milk?”

The kid stops crying at stares at Stiles straight in the eye for a couple of minutes and then he nods.

“Great! Cuz I love them too and I’m a great cook”

The boy nods again. “You will take me with my mommy?”

Stiles nods.

“You promise?”

“I promise” Stiles affirms with a grin. “Come I’ll get that hamburger and then we’ll gonna find your mommy”

The boy hesitates for a second and then he tends his hand to Stiles so he can grab him.

Stiles takes him on his hands carefully sitting him over his shoulders. He is too scrawny and bony, as if he has been starving for weeks. Who could let a kid wandering all by himself in the woods? Is he the son of one of the victims of the Wendigos? Is he orphan? Stiles hopes not, because he just promised he would find his mom after all.

He starts walking slowly toward the town, sighing with relief. He can’t believe the wolves didn’t come after him. For a second he thought he would had to face them with nothing to defend himself. He would be dead by now, yet they might be on their way. The woods are pretty big after all.

Carefully he descends the slope and smiles when he sees the town. He looks back to make sure they are being followed and he can’t see a soul.

“What’s your name?” He asks cheerful hoping that way the kid will feel more comfortable with him.

“Dylan” The boy replies calmer now.

Stiles crosses the line and he hears the thunder again cutting the calm of the night. He jerks his head at the moment he feels Dylan’s weight disappearing from his shoulders.

He looks back and finds the boy lying on his back inside of the woods.

…….

There a loud crack that burst not too far from there. He looks up but he can’t find the origin of it. How is this possible? He can swear he heard a thunder.

He snaps his head and slowly climbs down of the branch. After that conversation that he eavesdropped he hadn’t hear anything else for hours. It seems like they moved to somewhere else in the house.

He jumps to the nearest branch and carefully descends to reach the window from before and now he finds them standing before the couch with their heads craned toward the door.

“What was that?” The she-wolf that used to be in Derek’s pack asks.

“It was like a thunder” Another female voice replies.

“Theodore come here!” They call.

“What’s going on ladies?” A male voice says after a couple seconds.

“Did you hear that?” The first woman says.

“It was a thunder” He points out.

“It sounded like last night” She explains. “Like when Stiles kicked our asses”

Stiles? So…It was him after all? How is that possible? How could that boy cast such protection? He is strong! No, more than strong! He is a powerful binder…Or the stupidest kid in the world, he might be dying by now but…If they are right and that is the sound of the barrier it means that he is not just a simple binder and there is a hidden potential in him…Just like in Allison.

“You think someone is trying to get out?” The second she-wolf says thoughtful.

“Or maybe trying to get in” Explains Theodore.

“You think Damien is trying to reach us?” The first girl asks.

“I don’t know, he could just call over the phone” The male bipedalist admits. “Maybe it is Argent drawing us to a trap”

“Where are the others?” Both She-wolves ask at once.

“They are near the lake getting dinner”

“So…Should we go and inspect?” The first girl asks.

Chris doesn’t hear a reply, but when he hears the door he gets that they agreed to go and inspect what is going on. It is his chance to get into the cabin and see if they have something inside that might give him a clue of what’s going on but at the same time he can’t help feeling that he should follow him. This might be trap after all, maybe they want him to get into the cabin to get him.

He is not sure what to do…But if he lets them go now…

 _Damn it!_ He thinks jumping from the tree and running after them at a safe distant, thought since they are wolves it is harder for him to keep the pace.

He follows the trace for ten minutes feeling the hunger already burning his insides, as his lungs scream for air, yet he keeps following them. He needs to find what they are looking after all, maybe if he is lucky he can capture one of them and take it with him to the cave to interrogate it.

They start descending.

He slows his pace and follows them down until they stop.

“Are you sure if was here?” Theodore asks.

“Yeah, it came from here I’m sure of it” One of the she-wolves says.

Chris has to squint to get a better view of them in the darkness, he is not sure but he thinks it is Derek’s former pack member, so the other she-wolf was the one he saw the day before, the one who killed the hare for him. Didn’t she come?

“It was a waste of time, there is nothing here” Theodore complains.

“Are you sure?” A voice says and Chris blood runs cold.

“I found something pretty interesting here” The she-wolf from yesterday says as Chris turns on his heels to find himself face to face with her.


	22. Gathering Storm

#  **GATHERING STORM**

 

A thud. That is the first thing he hears when he is coming back to his senses. His eyes are closed and they feel so heavy he doesn’t want to attempt to open them, it feels as if his eyelids have been knitted. But it is not that, it his tiredness, is his helplessness. He has been caught.

He failed.

“How he managed to hide his scent?” A voice says near him thought it feels a little muffled to his ears.

“I don’t understand, I still can’t feel him” Erica’s voice agrees.

“It has to be a binding” The voice of the she wolf he saw the day before and who caught him says casually.

“Don’t be stupid, Chris Argent can’t bind anymore, everyone knows that” Now the voice of Theodore joins the conversation.

“Then how…?”

“There must be another explanation, maybe…”

“Maybe what?” Another male voice joins.

Chris slowly opens his eyes. His heads starts swaying and throbbing. He can feel a sticky spot in the back of his head where she must have hit him to faint him hours ago.

He is inside a dark room, there is not even a thread of light filtering through a window. Does it have any windows? It is scary, it is like being shut inside eternal darkness. He can’t tell the size of the room, as far as he knows he can be inside a football field size’s room or just into a small box. It makes him feels anxious.

He needs to get out of here.

“Maybe someone else casted a binding for him” Theodore explains.

“We should question him, we could use his method in case the STCU decides to show up”

“They can’t catch scents like us Deborah, it would be useless”

Chris rolls on his back. Damn! He is so weak, and the darkness doesn’t help, he can’t even see his nose, if it wasn’t for their voices he would lose his head in no time.

“How can’t you know? They never experimented with you. You have no idea of the shits that happens inside that place”

“Is true?” Erica’s voice asks shocked. “They really kept you there? How did you scape?”

“You won’t believe it but I found a…”

“There is no time for this. Where the hell is Vernon? Why he hasn’t come back yet?”

“I think….”

“He should be here already”

Chris kneels with shaking arms and swings a hand ahead slowly trying to find something to hold on to, a chair, a bed, a wall.

“Maybe he got lost” Erica mutters a little irate.

“He better not, that is the only phone with battery in the whole frigging place” Theodore warned.

He crawls a little more and his nails find a hard surface, by its dimensions and texture it has to be a wall. Their voices are now nearer. The door must be here somewhere.

“Take it easy, he must be on his way”

“I hope so, I want to get out of here as soon as possible. I’m tired of this woods”

“And what? Do you really think Damien is going to find a way to break the barrier? Or that he actually his a fuck about us?” Theodore asks.

“He will come, as soon as he knows that he have Argent him or Marcus will come for him, I just can’t believe that there isn’t any signal in this stupid cabin”

With a big effort Chris manages to stand and quickly sweeps the wall looking for a handle or something similar to it.

“I’m sick of this shit, I say we should kill him right now” One of the voices Chris doesn’t recognize says sharply.

“Are you crazy? They could kill us” Another one hurries to say.

“Why are you too acting like a pair of scared pups? They are as strong as us, they are not better than us”

“Marcus is going to take Damien’s place if something happens to him”

“My ass! I’ll take his place when I make something happen to him!” Replies the voice chortling.

There are some laughs, but Chris can easily say that not everyone is amused.

“What are you doing?”

Chris hears steps, then a handle spinning

“Hey! Are you crazy? He might…”

A line of light. Of precocious and beautiful light filters through the gap just feet away from Chris. There is no time to think or plan anything, he is hurt, disarmed, hungry and wounded. He can’t stand a chance against them, but he has no choice, he must get out of here and get into the city, they can’t leave the woods after all.

He lumbers toward the door.

There are screams.

“You stupid piece of shit!”

Growls. Chris reaches the door and the light blinds him for a second, he can see hair, some fans and boots. He is losing his balance.

“Where you think you’re going?” A blonde wolf says with a sheepish grin.

His hand comes so fast Chris doesn’t have time to react. He hears the creaking of his nose breaking. His mind gets numb and then he feels the sting in the back of his head when it hit the ground.

“What the hell did you do?”

“Is he dead?”

“I don’t know…I think he is…”

“I don’t care who you think you are but no one is going to touch him, until Damien comes for him”

“He can’t get in”

“Then he will need to find the way”

“Who named you the leader here?”

“I did it myself and if he dies because of what you just did I swear I’m gonna…”

“If he dies, then he was a shitty silver. I expected more from the infamous Christopher Argent”

He…He expected more from himself too.

…….

“Here we are” Stiles says happily closing the door at his back.

“Is my mommy here?” Dylan asks hopeful looking around the dark drawing room as if trying to find the woman hiding in the shadows.

Stiles shakes his head.

“I’m so sorry buddy, she is not here”

He hears a whine.

“But I promise we’re going to find her” He quickly adds to appease him. “Okay? We’re going to look for her tomorrow”

He nods.

“My name is Stiles”

“I’m hungry Stiles” Dylan says a little embarrassed.

Stiles chuckles. “Alright, let’s make that hamburger then”

“Yay!” The child lets out happily.

Stiles starts making his head toward the kitchen as he turns on the lights and takes a look at Dylan as he gets illuminated. He is really dirty and there is blood in his knee from when he fell in the forest.

“You need a bathroom” Points out, he is not sure how things work with children, since he never had a brother or a sister but…He hopes Dylan likes baths.

He nods without saying a word.

Stiles takes him downstairs and shows him the shower, but since it is too high for Dylan for use it, he decides to take him to his dad’s room to use the tub.

“I’ll work in the dinner, I’ll leave you new clothes on the bed, alright?”

He makes his way to the door again and he hears a boy whimper at his back. He quickly spins and finds him rubbing his eyes.

“What’s wrong buddy?” He asks arching a brow with concern.

“My mommy is not coming for me, right?”

Crap. Stiles can’t help reminding…That day, a year and some months ago. The day his mom passed and he became just a boy, whipping in a waiting room. Craving for his mom’s hugs and chastisements and laughs. He understands Dylan’s pain and can’t help feeling scared for him. What if his mother is dead? How is Stiles going to explain it to him?

 _No, she is alive. She has to._ He thinks balling his hands. But if she is alive…What kind of mother vanishes and leaves his little boy behind?

“She will come, don’t worry. Now wash yourself while I cook, okay?”

“Okay” Dylan replies listlessly.

Stiles closes the door and goes to his bedroom. He is sure there must be some of his old clothes in his drawers, he used to visit his grandparents too often to spend time with Scott and he always left something behind.

He gets an old pajama of the power rangers that he isn’t sure if was Scott’s or his and comes back to his dad’s room where he leaves it in the bed. He knocks the door.

“The clothes are here, I’ll downstairs” Announces and comes down.

He gets in the kitchen and grabs the vegetables, puts the grill on top of the kitchen and goes to the fridge to get the meat.

While he slices the tomato and the onion he wonders if his dad is on his way already. It’s been a crazy week lately and now they barely see each other. He knows that something has been going on in the hospital. His dad is getting late and since the whole town is paranoid because of what has happened the past days, it is understandable that he must have a lot of work.

The hamburgers start grilling and the tasty smell fills the air. Maybe he should make one for his dad too instead of his usual boiled eggs and smashed potatoes. Stiles knows that sometimes he is overprotective with his dad and the man thanks it but he bets that time to time he must miss have real meals.

“Is it ready?” The boy asks suddenly at his back and Stiles yelps taken aback.

“Hey!” He chuckles. “Yeah! Just a minute” Mutters taking the bread and starting to fill it with the ingredients.

Weird! He didn’t feel him or heard his steps at all. He moves smoothly, like a feline.

“Here it is” He says staring at his work proudly.

“Can I watch the cartoons while I eat it?” Dylan asks with puppy eyes that reminds him of Scott.

Stiles smiles with sadness and nods. “There is a TV in the living and another in my bedroom if you like to sleep right away”

The boy presses his lips in a thin line and arches a brow thoughtful. “The bed” Says cheerful and runs toward the Stiles to take the plate.

Stiles notices it then. Now that Dylan is fully clean and changed his clothes…Stiles can see his true self. His skin is even paler than before, there are deep hollows below his sore eyes that are full of…He can’t tell what, fear? Sadness? This little boy has a deep and hurtful stare that is breaking Stiles heart.

What happened to him? Who is he? Where is his mom? What he has come through to have those eyes?

“Stiles?” The boy asks confused.

“Go” Stiles says with a smirk. “I’ll get the chocolate milk”

Dylan takes his plate with him upstairs and once Stiles feels he is completely alone he lets his tear stream. It is so painful, how can he smile? How can he feel happy? Is he pretending? Do kids can forget things easily? Or is it easier for them to accept things? Dylan lived something awful the past days, weeks or months. Stiles is not sure, but he is afraid to find out the secret behind that stare.

He comes to the fridge and snatches the chocolate milk. He goes upstairs and finds Dylan sitting on his bed chewing his hamburger happily while he watches some cartoons.

Stiles takes a bite from his own hamburger and handles the glass of chocolate milk to the boy.

He sips and continues staring at the television as hypnotized by it.

When they finished their meal Dylan yawns.

“Sleepy uh?” Stiles says with a smirk as he stands and goes to the dresser to look for his sleeping bag.

“Stiles?” The boy says with concern.

“What happens buddy?”

Dylan stares at the sleeping bag on Stiles hands and fear leaps through his eyes harder than before. “Could you…Could you sleep with me?”

“I won’t anywhere, I’ll be in the floor next to the….”

“Please! I don’t want the monsters to come” Dylan begs.

“Dylan, the monsters aren’t real it is just…”

“Please!”

Stiles chuckles. “All right” Nods leaving the sleeping bag on the floor and getting in the bed.

As soon as he was next to him, Dylan beings to snore as if he has a hidden sleeping button behind his neck.

Stiles giggles and lays his head over the pillow. What a weird little boy, after all the things that he might have seen in his past he is still innocent enough to be afraid of the…Monsters.

Stiles’ heart gives a lurch. The monsters…They are real and they are in the town. A lump climbs to his throat and now he recalls the line of fertilely expelling the boy back. He is a werewolf.

He quickly draws his hand from bellow the mattress and touches Dylan’s forehead with his palm looking for the usual extreme heat of the werewolves.

Nothing. Actually he is a little cold, but is common thing, the air is freezing.

He is not a werewolf but then…Why the line of fertility pushed him back?

He wants to get his laptop and do some research, but, when he tries to come out of the bed he feels the weight on his shoulders, he is so tired. His eyes are closing by themselves. He has a long and painful day and now recalls what Derek said about releasing the line. He forgot about it, he opened it to let Dylan out and then closed it again.

And this brings him back to Dylan and the fact that he was a supernatural creature.

Who was Dylan? What was Dylan?

…….

She can’t sleep. Everything keeps coming to her mind over and over again. The way he looked at her in class, that odd feeling that burst in her chest, the fear and the relief. I didn’t make any sense.

 _What about know? Does it?_ She thinks sighing as she opens her eyes.

Scott’s room is quiet and dark. She has been rolling under the covers for hours. She can’t stop thinking about Uncle Jeremy and the things he said.

She should be death. It doesn’t matter how much she tries to push that thought out of her mind, it just keep coming over and over and fear flutters in her chest. He said she died twelve years ago, but if she died back then…How is that she is alive? How much crap her dad has been keeping in secret for her? Now that she knows she isn’t sure if she is angry or relief for all the things that her dad has been hiding from her.

She sits in her bed and stares at her hands feeling a disgusting feeling in her gut. Is she a ghost? Is she dead for real, or was it another of her dad’s tricks? But if so…Why he hid the truth from Uncle Jeremy? Why hide something so relevant and important from his own brother? Didn’t trust in him? But if he didn’t why look for him now? It doesn’t matter how many answers Allison she gets, she also finds more question wherever she goes.

And speaking of questions…

She rubs her eyes and peeks through the window at her left. Stiles said he needed to talk to her when she was with Uncle Jeremy. What happened? He said he would come over to Scott’s to have the conversation, but… He never showed up. Did something happen to him?

She should call him though, his self has been feeling weird through the bond the whole day. She doesn’t know what is it exactly but…It is like if something is leaving him, he feels shorter and shorter inside her as if he is an anthill being swept away by the wind bit a bit.

She takes her phone in her hand and looks for his number. It is pretty late though. He must be sleeping right now because she can’t feel any consistent feeling coming from him, just vague and brief feelings outbursts, a little fear, happiness, calm, anger, more fear and quirky annoying and disturbing joy that she thinks might be love. This last one is the strongest, it last a minute in her chest and a weird and familiar presence comes to her though she isn’t sure of who is it. It is like staring at a faceless person.

It’s better to let him sleep a little.

She comes out of bed. Her mouth is dry and her throat scrappy. She gets in her slippers and walks out of the room. She wonders if Scott and his mom are already at home. When she came to bed tonight they hadn’t arrive yet but considering how late it is they should be asleep.

Climbs down the stairs and turns on the kitchen’s lights. Gets a glass and pours some water, takes it to her lips and drinks when a squeak makes her quiver and she spins to her left where the door’s opening.

Scott comes in accompanied by a couple of bags. “Allison!” He says with tiredness in his voice.

“Scott! I thought…I thought you were asleep already” She replies taken aback.

He shakes his head. “I’ve been busy”

She arches a brow. “With what?”

“I brought you something” He says with a shy smirk, but she can see trough him. He is changing the subject.

He puts the bags in the table and Allison approaches to take a look. Inside the bags are at least twenty different kind of perfumes, expensive perfumes.

She cranes her neck toward him thoughtful “You know it won’t be my birthday until a couple of weeks ahead, right?” She says arching a brow.

Scott nods with a grin. “I know, it is the same day as Stiles’”

She takes the first bottle and takes her to her nose to feel the delicious fragrance, she can’t believe he got her this present after…What did he say? Stiles’ birthday is the same day as hers? What a coinci…No! There is something weird in all this, one thing is to have a bond with the best friend of his…

She shakes her head.

Scott’s best friend. She can’t believe she shares her birthday with him when they both have this strange connection that she can’t explain and by the looks he got the days it felt stronger, he neither.

_More questions._

At least she has a clue now, there is definitely something going on between them. Something big, she can feel it in her hand every time Stiles is near and actually, it has been growing bigger and bigger the past days. Whatever it is…She is sick of wondering, she is going to ask him the next time they talk.

“Then why did you bring me…”

“Is for your safety, I want you to try these until we find one that hides your scent, the boys’ are for Stiles. I would appreciate if you give it to him”

Allison stares at the bottles thoughtful. “Haven’t you guys fixed things up yet?”

Scott shakes his head. “Look Allison, is better if he stays away, I don’t want him to get in trouble”

“Is that way you took him to Deaton’s and not me?”

Scott steps back glancing down. “No, it wasn’t because of that, the guys wanted him there because he could break a magic barrier or something like it outside Dr. D’s place”

“I could do that too” She points out sharply. “And you promised you would tell me what you talked to Deaton and you didn’t!”

Scott’s bottom lip wobbles. “Allison, you need to trust me. I just want to keep you safe”

“That’s the problem Scott, I can’t trust you, because every time I think I might believe in you again you start lying and hiding things from me” She says with climbing in her eyes. “Thanks for the colognes” Finishes taking the bags with her and storming out of the kitchen to get back to his bedroom.

…….

The noise of steps wakes him up. Stiles flutters his eyes open and for no reason a smirk escapes from his lips. He had a dream, a good one for once in months. He can’t remember what it was about but…He wanted to laugh, and was angry at the same time in it. How can someone be mad and happy at the same time? Though it sounds like an odd feeling, for some reason it feels very familiar to him. He was with someone, he can’t remember who and they were yelling at each other, teasing and laughing.

There are more steps. He blinks and cranes his neck to his right. For a brief second he almost forgets who is Dylan and nearly jumps off of his bed but then he recalls and smiles. He looks so peaceful in his sleep, he wonders what he is dreaming about. Maybe his mother.

Stiles comes out of the bed, he is so tired and hungry, it is like yesterday, it is like his strength is being drained from him, and the weight on his back is not helping. He wants to keep sleeping, sleep the whole day if it’s possible but…He is so hungry.

“Stiles I’m hungry” He hears Dylan mutter softly half awake and half asleep.

“You too uh?” He chuckles blinking. It looks like those hamburgers weren’t big enough. “I’ll get you something to eat, wait here”

He opens the door and sees a shadow passing by at high speed. His stomach plunges down and he almost yelps, but he recognizes the shape of the man climbing down the stairs while he puts on his lab gown.

He closes the door of his room at his back and follows his father.

“Dad?” He asks when he gets into the kitchen and finds the man having some fried eggs and bacon. “What you think you’re doing?”

“Oh! Hey son” He says a little listless. “I’m just having breakfast”

“I’m not talking about breakfast, I mean, what are you doing eating those things?”

His dad rolls his sore eyes. “I’m just…”

“Breakfast?” Stiles asks confused. “What time is it?” He looks at the window behind his father and notices that it is still pitch dark.

“It’s four am” His dad explains taking a piece of egg with his fork. “I have to go earlier today, is a very important day”

Stiles frowns. “Why? Is there something wrong?” He fears what his dad might reply, he knows that at this point someone must suspect that something is not right in the town.

“I guess you heard some rumors at school” The man starts with his Dr.’s stare.

Stiles nods. “People are scared, some say they saw monsters, others that heard explosions and other things, the hospital needs us more than ever”

Stiles chugs.

“But there is nothing to worry” The man hurries to say to calm him, but Stiles can tell he is lying. “There have been some extremely rare cases of people with strange behavior, but they are just some patience with epilepsy and schizophrenia, all this virus thing is just that, a rumor”

It is amazing that his dad really things that Stiles is going to believe that.

“That is the reason I have extra shifts, people are paranoid”

“You need to sleep dad, you look tired” Stiles points out.

His dad shakes his head. “You’re the one who should sleep, you don’t look very good. Maybe you should skip the gathering and sleep the whole day”

“What gathering?” Stiles says not getting his point.

“They didn’t tell you at school?” His dad grits his teeth and sighs finishing his eggs and standing up. “I have some bad news Stiles, I think you met Mrs. Greenberg right?”

Stiles nods. “I know she died”

His dad presses his lips in a thin line. “There will be a memorial today at School, the principal has been calling are the student’s families the whole night, but I will call and say you’re not feeling fine if you want to”

Stiles considers it for a second, he still needs to figure out what do to with Dylan, some spare hours would be good for him. He can go to the commissary and…He is not sure, taking him there will mean to leave him there, means child’s services taking him away, and supernatural kid, what if he gets in trouble? What if they find out about him? And Stiles promised him he would find his mom.

“Are you okay?” His dad asks frowning.

“Yeah, I’m just sleep that’s all”

“I gotta go now, eat something, you look slimmer than usual, and have some sleep too” His dad says with a smirk and quickly approaches him to kiss his forehead.

When his lips touches Stile’s skin it happens, just for a brief and almost imperceptible second he can feel the wobbling in his dad’s bottom lip. He is concerned, frightened. Something is happening in the hospital, he should call Der….No! He is not talking that asshole!

“Bye son”

“Bye dad”

When his dad reaches the door Stiles is tempted to call him and tell him about Dylan, but then he shakes his head. He is very occupied right now and Stiles can almost see his head exploding when he finds out that he has been keeping a missing kid in their house and hadn’t tell anyone yet.

He should call Scott’s mom though. She knows that supernatural creatures exists, it could be helpful, and she is a cop. She can help him somehow.

He takes some toasts upstairs and eats them with Dylan and before he realizes the child is fast asleep again.

He thinks about it for what feels like hours, but when he looks at his watch he sees that it have been just a couple of minutes. He has to do something about him and soon, he needs to find his mom and Mellissa is his best option.

Though he has no strength to walk he comes out of bed again and dials the woman’s number after brushing his teeth, but he gets the voice mail. She must be still asleep. Damn. A couple of seconds later he gets one of those automatically sent texts that reads.

“I’m busy, I’ll call you back”

He sighs. Everyone woke up pretty early today. What he should do? He is already awake so… He turns on his heels and takes a look at Dylan, he looks so serene laying on the bed. That he doesn’t want to wake him. He can go to the commissary by himself, it isn’t that far, he could walk a couple of streets quickly and find out if there are some reports of a missing kid in the boards outside. He doesn’t want just take Dylan, if he goes there with him…They might take him away from Stiles. It might be a little selfish but, it was him who promised him he was going to find his mom, and he wants to be Dylan’s hero.

He hopes Dylan is one of those kids that like to wake up later in the morning because he is determinate. He is going to look for some answers while the boy sleeps and that way no he wouldn’t be taken away from him.

He closes the doors of the house just in case and makes his way toward the stating in the darkness while he checks the local newspapers in his phone looking for news of missing kids.

Nothing.

Fifteen minutes later he is climbing the long steps to get in the commissary when he notices something odd. It is weird, from his point of view…

“Hey!” Stiles calls aloud running.

The woman at the door hops nervously as she draws her gun from its sheath pointing at Stiles.

Stiles rises his hands automatically as he feels his heart throbbing.

“Who are you?” The police officer demands.

“My name is Stiles Stilinski” The boy says swallowing.

The woman squints and she might notices that he is just a teenager because with shaking him hands hides her gun again. “I’m so sorry I just…” She starts but Stiles interrupts her.

“Are you okay?”

The woman nods and chuckles. “I’m the one who should ask you that”

“I’m sorry, you just look like you need some sleep” He points out.

She smiles. “What do you want kid?”

He needs to think fast or he might give off himself on Dylan. “I was just passing by and noticed that you were closing the stating, how…How is that possible?”

The woman rolls her eyes. “There is nothing to worry, there will be an event in the town today. All the officers are patrolling the city already, so you don’t need to worry”

“But…What if someone calls for…I don’t know, report a missing person?”

“This again? People must be missing for forty eight hours so we can search for them”

“Oh!” Says Stiles taken aback. “So…You get reports of missing people often uh?”

“Why are you asking all this questions? I have work to do, so if you don’t mind” She says angrily starting to climb down the stairs.

“Wait” Stiles begs. “When a child is missing you attend the call immediately right?”

She nods without turning.

“Because I heard at school that many people has been missing lately, what if a kid gets lost like…I don’t know, in the woods?”

“Only adults have been missing the past days and most of them have been found already” The woman replies drily. “Now, if you don’t mind I have no time for your games of Sherlock Holmes, if you have something to report do it now or leave me do my work”

She spins and stares at Stiles’ straight in the eye.

He shakes his head. “No, just curiosity”

“Fine, go home”

Stiles chugs and climbs down the stairs to get back home. It doesn’t make any sense. Why Dylan’s mother hadn’t make a report yet? There are only two explanations and both of them are damn scary. The first is that his mom is dead or turned into a Wendigo which means is basically the same and the other…The other is that the woman knows that her son is different and…And she got rid of her.

He shakes his head and keeps walking. It can’t be, a mother wouldn’t do that to her own flesh and blood, something had to happen to her and Stiles needs to find out what.

He gets into his house quickly and climbs upstairs with the heart almost choking him, he is afraid Dylan might have woke up alone and…

He is still there, lying like a little prince in his feather’s bed. Stiles now realizes something, whatever happened to Dylan and his family has something to do with the Fenrir and his pack, getting Scott’s mom or someone else involve could be dangerous.

He can’t call Derek and the others because they want anything to do with him and they might think Dylan is just a trick, and he couldn’t blame them, after he found out that there is something out of ordinary with the kid Stiles had his own doubts, but he sees everything clear now, this beautiful little boy trusts in him and hopes he will find his mom, and Stiles won’t disappoint him, he knows what is to lose a mom and he doesn’t want anyone find out how hard it is.

He gets under the covers with a smile in his face, now he can have some extra rest.

He closes his eyes.

“Stiles?” Dylan’s voice says suddenly.

He sighs and opens his eyes, it was too good to be true.

“Can we build a fort?”

Stiles chuckles and nods. “Of course buddy” Replies amazed again of how kids can always find reasons to smile in the hard times.

…….

It have been a pretty moved morning. The bus driver stops next to her car in the school’s parking lot. When he opens the door she can hear a brief and low piece of sad music, she can almost taste the anxiety in her classmates as they climb down. Behind the school bus she can see dark clouds, as if the sky is mourning Mrs. Greenberg’s dead too. A storm is coming, she can feel it in her bones, something awful is about to happen. She has this odd feeling in her chest and she doesn’t like it at all.

More and more students climb down of the bus and many other come in their cars as Allison but Stiles never shows up, and she can’t help wondering if something happened to him, his feelings inside her are still cloudy and hard to read, which means that he still asleep or something like it.

She meets her eyes with Scott when he climbs down and she can notice the hurt in them. He probably expected her to drive him school today but…How could she do that? She is so mad at him, he keeps hiding things from her and saying that it is to protect her, but she knows better. It is Derek, Derek told him to not tell her anything because she is his enemy.

They hear the bell ring and she frowns. Why…? Why they ring the bell? She thought that there would just be a memorial today and not classes at all.

Doors and more doors swim open, from cars and the school itself and now Allison notices it and the other students too. Something is not right.

There is a large haste of people that shouldn’t be here.

As she looks around she spots more and more persons approaching looking confused, some scared, others sad and the vast majority angry. Do they have something to do with Mrs. Greenberg? Did all this people know her?

She hears whispers and a guy is making a clattering noise against the bus’ side making everyone feel uncomfortable. Now she spots Harris, he is wearing a dark suit his spectacles are blurred, maybe because of the cold air…Or maybe he was close to the former literature teacher.

“Excuse me everyone” He calls aloud. “Excuse me everyone” Repeats louder this time.

Bit a bit all the chattering and whispering starts fading until they are suddenly surrounded by a sharp and upsetting silence.

“Many of you must be confused and wondering what…”

“Excuse me Sr. Is the Mayor here yet?” A woman says from the right.

Allison cranes her neck and finds and young and beautiful reporter approaching Harris with her microphone held high as she make signs to a cameramen to follow her.

“I…I’ve been informed that the Mayor will arrive in half an hour, meanwhile the principal is asking the community and the people with inquires to join us in the playing field where we will have a memorial for our beloved friend and teacher Joan Greenberg”

As soon as he spoke those words everyone started to trudge toward the left side of the building where the football field is erected.

She can hear them, whispering, ranting, some ran to the reporter as soon as she was done with Harris, they are yelling now. This is not just a memorial they were summoned here for some other matters, and they must be expecting some issues because…

There are cops everywhere.

“I’m glad to see you” Uncle Jeremy’s voice says suddenly and Allison almost lets out a shriek.

He is walking along with her as they follow the thong to the bleachers.

Allison takes seat in the first steps and Uncle Jeremy does too. She can feel Scott and Jackson’s eyes on her, Lydia is making her signs from three steps up but she just ignores her. She is having an idea and is pretty sure that her Uncle is thinking the same. They should get out of here.

“Thank you all for coming over today” The principal’s voice says from the middle of the field.

Allison cranes her neck and finds standing before a giant white square made of cloth with a microphone in his hands.

“As many of you may know already. The city hall has asked the permission to use our playing field to have a gathering with the citizens and clarify some misunderstandings regarding the security blanket instituted the past days”

“Security Blanket?” A voice shouted angrily far from Allison and then more uproars followed.

The principal rises his hands. “I’ll ask you sir to save your inquires for the mayor though I’m pretty sure the press will address them for you in more adequately manners. For now on this is a memorial and I’ll demand you respect for the family of Joan Greenberg and her students”

Everything went disturbingly silence again and before Allison notices two or maybe three hours passes before her eyes. She is starting to feel a little hungry and notices it is almost noon and they have been talking and watching pictures of Mrs. Greenberg all this time.

When the ceremony is over Allison notices that her cheeks are damp. She didn’t know Mrs. Greenberg much and most of the time she fell asleep on her classes but she is feeling awfully sad right now, maybe is just infested with the common gloominess of the rest of the students or maybe she is whipping because she hadn’t in a long and there are so many things stuck in her chest and this is a safe moment to drain a bit of it.

A few drops fall on her crown and then she starts seeing them in the field, tiny and brief flash of light in the fog. It always rain in the funerals? Or is this day a horrible coincidence? Everyone was going to miss Mrs. Greenberg, she didn’t know her enough to say that she would too. All she can say is that she will miss the quiet hours snoozing on her classes, she won’t have that anymore. This is the calm before the storm, hell is about to come to the town and she must be prepared to fight till the end.

The shouts and curses make her jolt. The mayor is here.

“First of all I’m going to ask everyone to calm down” He demands with authority.

“We’re sick of hearing that, we want answers!” A woman says loudly from the top of the bleachers.

“And I’m here to give them to you my lady, but if everyone speaks at the same time I won’t be able to listen to any of you”

This was enough to chill things a little. The professor are now standing from the places and asking the students to leave but no one is paying attention, they all want to hear what the mayor has to say, this doesn’t look good. There are new arguing that are muffling the man’s poor excuse of explanation.

“It is just for you safety, there is no such thing as virus” She hears the man’s voice saying over the speaker but she is not paying much attention. Her classmates are mad, they are yelling that they are not kids anymore and they deserve answers as everybody else.

A cop leaves his place and reaches the crowd.

“We are disconnected from the outside world!” Someone calls aloud.

“That is not true, there have been some problems with communications lately but they are not related to…”

“All the carriers?” Someone else says.

“As…As I’m telling you, the issued is solved you can navigate freely on the web, I’m right now connected to the city hall’s website”

“All the intranets are perfectly working mayor but all the gateways are blocked, we can’t reach the outside world”

“Maybe you should take your devices to service sir”

“I’m a technical myself Mayor, my work is to repair things, there is nothing to repair here”

“I guess you need to keep working harder, then” The mayor replies sternly.

“Liar!” Someone screams.

“I don’t wanna go” A students grunts at Alisson’s right.

“I think it’s time to go” Uncle Jeremy whispers at her ear.

Allison nods and stands.

“What about the virus? I lost my brother! They won’t tell us anything in the hospital!”

“I don’t know when you got this idea of a virus but it is all a misunderstanding”

“Why we can’t get out of the city?”

“I have a store and I can’t get supplies”

“Liar!”

“I…I can’t…I can’t answer you’re…”

“It is all bullshit!”

“People are dying and you don’t care!”

“Let’s go”

Allison follows the man and a couple of teachers bringing students behind the bleachers to head back school. There are a couple of cops warding the exit.

Allison is passing by them along with some girls when one of them rises a hand to stop Uncle Jeremy.

“Is there a problem?” He asks and Allison stops short and turns toward them.

“You can’t leave sir” The cop says calmly.

“Why?” He asks frowning at them.

“The Mayor asked that all teachers must listen so they can learn the situation and let know their students that everything is okay”

“But I need…”

“I’m sorry but I can’t let you pass it’s…”

Allison steps in front of them not sure of what she is doing, she hopes it works. “There is nothing to worry, he is back in his seat now, there is no one standing before you right now” She whispers so the rest of her classmates can’t hear.

The officer’s expression becomes blank and then he cranes his neck to his left.

Uncle Jeremy passes by them with a smirk on his lips. “It’s you, you really are Allison” He mutters openmouthed.

“What that supposes to mean?” She asks as they walk toward the parking lot.

“You could bend his thoughts without eye contact, the rain and the storm you’re everything they said you would be”

“What? Who said anything about me? The rain? I couldn’t call the rain, I wouldn’t know where to start” She says confused, now she is dazed and a little scared.

“It is you Allison, you did this, just a very powerful binder can make clouds of this size, I bet you covered the whole town, this mist…It’s just amazing”

“I….I don’t know what you’re talking about, I can’t control the wheatear, it would be stupid”

“You did it” He affirms nodding. “It’s almost July, how can you explain that this looks like winter? You’re strong, you can’t just control the weather. It is almost a game to you. You don’t seem to be experimenting any evisceration at least for now”

“I’m telling, I can’t...”

“Try it, try to disperse the clouds and you’ll see I’m right”

Allison chews her bottom lip and stops outside her car, this is stupid she can’t control the weather or…

“Go ahead” He urges her. “I know you can do it”

She closes her eyes, a draft of air dishevels the hair in the back of her neck and chill runs down her spine. “I don’t know Stiles…I don’t think I can do this” She whimpers.

“What?” Uncle Jeremy frowns at her.

“What? What?” She says confused.

“You said something” He murmurs cresting his brow.

“Yeah and it didn’t work”

“You called someone, the boy... From yesterday”

“Stiles?” Allison chuckles. “I didn’t call him, I said, stupid clouds go away and it didn’t work obviously”

He stares at her with some interest and dread at the same time.

“I don’t…”

“Look, let’s go okay? I can’t wait any longer, I want the truth. I want to know why you said that I should be dead and what that means that I am everything they said I would”

He sighs. “Alright, It’s time for me to give you some answers, let’s go” He replies with bright and intense eyes as he climbs to his car and Allison does the same.

.......

They hadn’t leave the room in the whole day. Turns out that Dylan is good playing at cards, board games and video games. They are inside their fort to keep the monsters away, and Stiles keeps wondering if the monsters he wants so desperately hide from are the ones that are causing so much chaos in the city.

Because of the blankets on the windows it is so dark inside that Stiles doesn’t know what time is it. They have been playing for so much hours that he isn’t sure if it is noon already or if his bedtime because he feels really tired and the weight on his back is harder than ever. It’s like trying to carry the incredible hulk on his back.

The only breaks they have taken is when Stiles has come downstairs to prepare something for Dylan, he is so amazed of how much he eats, it’s like a baby that needs to be fed every four hours. It doesn’t matter how hard he works and how big the portions are, Dylan always engulfs it all in matter of minutes. How can he be this thin then? Maybe he starved for days and subconsciously his body fears it might happen again.

He has been asking about his mom time to time to get to know a little about her and find out what might happen. So far Dylan has told him that her names is Therese, he doesn’t know or understand where she works so it will be hard to find her. He also said that they build forts always and that they play for hours, she thought him everything he knows and weekly brings something new they can play with, so she is not a bad mother which throws away Stiles’ theory about the woman abandoning him, so it means that…

Something happened to her.

Stiles is afraid, he fears she might be dead and not being able to find her alive for Dylan, he doesn’t know what is he going to do if he has to tell him that his mother is in a better place and less wants to think about what might happen after that. Dylan can’t stay with them, his dad wouldn’t just take care of a kid he doesn’t from anywhere and he will want to bring him to child services. Stiles can’t adopt him because he is underage and of course he can’t hide him forever in his room, which means he has only one option.

He doesn’t know his father. Shit.

After hearing this Stiles sighs and focuses on the video game they are playing because Dylan is kicking his ass and chuckles, he likes his company, it’s like the little brother he never had and now that Scott is gone for good from his life is the only brother he has at all…If there only…If there only were a way to keep Dylan with him, to be a real brother for him. Everything would be easier, though of course they still need to survive the werewolf apocalypse. Maybe is time to leave the town as Derek told him last week.

He have been thinking about Dylan’s skills too and the possibility it might be a trap, but…They have been alone for hours, if he is an evil werewolf he had a lot of chances to kill Stiles already. He tried though, to see if he has some of the werewolves’ abilities. He whispered to him some times softly and he didn’t make out what he said, he made asked him if he knew what he was cooking while he was downstairs but he said he didn’t smell anything and when he asked if he could help him move the bed, he tried hard but nothing happened. He is not a werewolf, or at least born werewolves don’t develop their powers until puberty. He should ask Derek about it but he better not…He doesn’t want to talk to him, not after he left clear that Stiles was useless to them.

He is calling!

Stiles stares at his phone blinking and his heart gives a lurch. “De…Derek? What happened? Is everything okay? Did something happen to Scott?

He hears a chuckle at the other side of the line. Bastard.

“No, everything is fine” His deep voice replies sternly.

“Then what do you want?” Stiles asks getting out of bed and walking to the door to not disturb Dylan while he plays.

“I was just asking myself why you aren’t bothering us as usual” Says with a snarky tone.

What? Is this for real? He got to be kidding, after all the shit they all said to him the other day.

“What’s your problem? You told me I was useless for the pack”

“I just want to make sure you’re trying to get yourself killed” Derek replies in a grunt.

“Well, no, thanks for asking, I got very clear that there is no place for me in the pack so if you excuse…”

“Did you try the perfumes?”

He frowns. “What are you talking about?”

Derek sighs deeply and Stiles shivers setting his jaw. “Scott was supposed to give you some perfumes to try if one of them was able to hide your scent”

“Scott doesn’t talk to me” Stiles reminds him gritting his teeth.

“He said he was going to do it”

“Stiles I’m hungry”

Again? Damn! That boy must have a monster in the stomach.

“Who’s t…” Derek starts but Stiles cuts him off.

“Um…I gotta go” Says awkwardly cutting the call. Is weird, he thinks this is the first time they have a conversation that doesn’t involve someone being nearly dead.

He turns on his heels. “What would you like to eat now?” Asks with a smirk on his face.

He could get use to this. He loves cooking after all.

…….

He wakes up in the middle of the nothing, in darkness itself. Here is where everything ends. He can feel it. He will die inside this room and everything will be lost.

No, he can’t allow that to happen. He needs to survive, he can’t leave Allison alone, he needs to fight, he is Christopher Argent, feared for thousands and respected from many others. He is a legend and needs to prove that to himself one more time.

He should have choke with his blood when he fainted, but it didn’t happen. It must be sign, he can do this.

Clumsily rolls on his back cursing his throbbing head and the disgusting taste of blood in his mouth and kneels, the hunger is killing him. He is powerless. Killing a bipedalist is hard, he doesn’t want to think that as soon as he comes out he will have to murder five at the same time. He needs an strategy, he needs to think in something but…This darkness is consuming him, at least they were arguing hours ago but now…This must be how being dead feels.

He is afraid, he is tired and confused, is he alive? As far as he knows he might have been inside this emptiness for years now, he lost the notion of time a while ago.

He is losing it, at this rate he will become insane.

 _Focus_ He tells himself. Damn it! If he could only bind again, a light, a single fire would make the difference but this void will be his end.

Chaos.

He just heard a struck, a big thud and something like wood breaking. Snarls, furious yells and steps.

He jolts with his chest throbbing and manages to gather some strength to stand and tumble around looking for the door again, when his fingers brush the raw and cold metal slab he sighs with relief and plasters his ear against it.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” A furious voice says. “They will come for us”

“They don’t give a shit about us, if they cared they would have come for us” Someone replies with despise.

“You need to calm down”

“You won’t tell me what to do! I’m older than any of you! I could take you down with a blink”

There is a loud snort. “I would love to see that, old man”

“I’m tired of this damn forest! It’s driving me crazy! I need to do something”

“And killing him will make you feel better? If you kill him we’re fucked up, they won’t get us out of here. Marcus was clear, he wants Argent alive”

“Open your eyes Vernon! If they really wanted us out they wouldn’t send us here in the first place! They should have come already!”

“They don’t know we have him! My phone died! I told you”

“Then we’re on our own until they realized that something happened to us, or they kill the binder who casted this, it’s fair that we have some fun with him until he comes back”

“I’ll not leave you do that!” The voice of the she wolf that got him says menacingly. “He is our only chance to get out of here, if he dies they will kill us all”

The other voice snorts. “And what are you going to do then Deborah? Kill me? I would love to see that”

A growl and then another.

There are some crashes and the nose of a heavy object being pulled on the floor.

“Come back here!”

“I’m gonna kill you!”

There are angry steps now, that feel near and near with every second that passes.

“He is right!” A voice announces. “They won’t come, we’re here on our own”

“Yeah! He almost killed me years ago” Erica’s voice says with despise. “Fuck Marcus and Damien, I want to chop off his head with my own hands”

More screams and thuds.

They are here!

Chris steps back at the moment they hammer the door leaving behind a deafening metallic sound, yet, it doesn’t slid open.

“I’m gonna kill you” A muffled voice says.

“Look out, behind you”

There’s a moan of pain and then nothing. It all fades.

They will come for him, it is just matter of minutes. He needs to find something to defend himself. He turns on his heels and throws himself on the floor sweeping the black floor with his hands in search of something that could save his life.

…….

She stops her car behind Uncle Jeremy’s and quickly climbs down to follow him inside. At first she was afraid someone might see them and think wrong but when she is about to get inside looks around and gets shocked by the view. The street is completely empty and now that she thinks about it, she didn’t see much people in the street in their way here. Everything is upside down and the citizens know it. It just matter of time before hell begins.

They come inside. Allison feels her chest throbbing and she is a little dizzy, anxiety is taking over her with every step.

“Are you okay? Would like to drink something?” He says thoughtful.

Drink something? It could be a good idea. She needs to calm her nerves.

“I have coke” He suggest.

“I want something stronger” She replies sternly.

“You’re minor” He reminds her with start look. “An I’m you’re teacher”

“I’m just about to listen the story of how I died, I think this is the least you could do for me” She chuckles.

He chugs. “Alright”

He disappears in the kitchen for a couple of minutes and then comes back with two glasses filled with a brown liquid that Allison recognizes as whiskey as soon as she haves her first drink.

“Now tell me what’s going on” She almost begs though she tries to do her best to pretend she is fine.

He glances down setting his jaw. “Are you sure you want to hear this? Maybe we should look for your dad first and then he can tell you himself”

She shakes her head. “No, I won’t help you until I get some answers”

“It seems fair, you better prepare yourself”

“I am” She affirms.

They both take another sip from their glasses and Allison thanks the warmness of her drink and its power to calm her nerves, she is feeling a little better now.

“It all started when your parents got married” He starts with deep voice. “I remember how happy they looked, my youngest carried the rings in the wedding, everyone was happy”

“What this has to do with the fact that I supposedly died?” She asks angrily sipping a larger amount this time.

“Everything, because as soon as they were married people started talking about children, and how powerful would be a kid of them both”

Allison frowns.

“Didn’t you dad tell you how strong your mom was?”

Allison sighs. “Actually he kept it all in secret for me until a couple of months ago” She explains with sadness.

“That is impossible” He accuses. “I saw you binding when you were just a toddler, you could make sparks fly with just a breath and now what you did with all this clouds… You have to be trained…Kids in the STCU are taught for years and years and I’m sure that none graduated binder can do what you do without help”

This again. “I’m telling you! I don’t know what you’re talking about! It wasn’t me!” She shouts furiously.

A thunder cracks and the whole room lights up for a half a second.

“What did you say?” He snorts.

Allison scoots blinking, this is not possible… How? How she can do it?

She has another drink, this is too much, she finishes it in a one gulp and now Uncle Jeremy goes to bring the bottle from the kitchen to pour her some more.

“As I was saying, everyone was excited about your birth and you didn’t disappoint anyone, anyone could feel how strong your will was”

She looks around trying to understand how is that she doesn’t remember any of that and then she realizes that she couldn’t. She was just a baby.

“Everything changed a couple months after your fourth birthday”

“What? Happened?”

“I’ve been telling you just your part of the story so far, but there are other things that need to be addressed too” He explains to later clear his throat. “If your dad hid from you everything relate to who you are then I guess you don’t know your mom was a very good and loved woman and she had strong ideals, ideals she would die for”

She doesn’t like how this sounds.

“She believed that Binders and supernatural creatures could live in peace, she thought that they were like us, with feelings and rationing. She had a she-wolf as a friend for many years, they were very close and they worked together in comities and events to bring the supernaturals and binders together, after all she used to say that Binders are called that way because they are what joint the woman world with the unnatural”

Wow! She didn’t know that! Suddenly she feels so proud about her mom and sadder she doesn’t remember her.

“What happened then?”

“Your mom’s friend died giving in birth her seventh son, for Binders the number seventh means good luck, everyone thought that after this boy was born a new ear was about to start, but when she died your mom fell in a strong depression she wouldn’t stop blaming herself, and more when she found out some reports that said that her friend attempted to have these seventh werewolves to start a war, with the seventh on their side they would be unstoppable”

Allison gasps.

“She left the town for a while, and she came back she was pregnant with you, meanwhile, this boy who murdered his mom grew in shame and disgrace, they said he was curse sent to them from the STCU to kill his mother, a trap to put an end to the rebellion they were plotting, he was traitor and everyone hated him”

 _Poor kid._ She thinks with sadness.

“After you were born your mom tried to reach her friend’s family again, hoping she could fine the love and compression she one has in that place in the past and she did…Or that’s what she thought”

Allison glances down holding back her tears and taking another sip.

“When you were four, your mother was invited along with you to a party, one of the seventh’s birthday or something like it I can’t remember. Since she trusted blindly in them she didn’t refuse, many members of the STCU warned her, told her that they have been spying the pack for months and discovered that it was a trap to murder her”

Allison holds her breath. It was that night, the night everything changed.

“They were wrong”

“What? What do you mean?”

“They didn’t tell the boy to kill your mom, they sent him to kill you”

Allison’s heart skips a beat and she chokes with her drink. No! This is not possible! It isn’t possible! It was her mom! It was her mom who…

“This boy Derek or Daryl, I don’t remember his name was told to murder you, they promised him that if he killed you he would prove that he was trustworthy and not just an abomination sent by the gods to curse them”

Derek…Derek…It has always been him over and over again, like a shadow lurking in every corner.

“He came after you both and your dad found the bodies”

“No! It can’t be true! I’m alive! I didn’t die”

He nods. “Your dad said you both died and then he vanished!”

“But the newspapers didn’t mention anything about me” She says thoughtful.

“Maybe he was planning to come back with you someday” He says thoughtful.

“I don’t get it” Allison cries feeling the fear climbing to her chest while she makes her best to hold back her tears. “Why he didn’t tell anyone?”

“Maybe he just wanted to protect you, to keep you safe from all this”

“Protect me from Derek right?”

“He wouldn’t rest until he found me and killed me to prove those monsters that he was one of them, he was willing to murder a kid just to be accepted”

“Allison…”

She stands. “Let’s go! I think I know where my dad is, and after we found him I’m gonna kill Derek”

Another thunder cracks and its light lasts for almost full ten seconds.

This is it .

…….

There is bed in the room, it is broken but…One of the legs will be useful to keep himself safe.

Yanks it away with a last of his strength and falls on his back feeling a shot of pain and adrenaline running through his body. Outside the room the screams and growls resume. They are fighting against each other for supremacy and the right to murder him.

He will them reasons to scram.

He approaches the door, one of the ends of the bed’s leg is flat and it could work perfectly as a lever.

He introduces it between the doorway and the side of the metal slab, he prepares himself to pull but before he has chance to try the door swims open by itself.

Light baths the room accompanied by the intense flaring of a thunder that just cracks and makes him shiver.

Deborah is standing in the doorway, her eyes fixed on him in a blank expression.

He rises the bar and lumbers.

She takes it in a flick of her wrist and throws it away.

Chris scoots cursing, damn it! What is he going to do now?

She grabs him by the arm and quickly looks around and then starts dragging him out of the room. He fights and tries to break free but she is too strong and he has no strength.

She is bringing him to them, to the place where the fight is taking place, as a prize for the winning team perhaps.

Another thunder and now the lights are out. They are in complete darkness. She stops to a halt and cranes her neck in all directions and then starts running dragging Chris with her.

Upstairs the screams and thuds are harder and harder.

They stumble with a couch.

Chris keeps trying to step back while he looks for a weapon in the room with his hands.

A fork.

He stabs her in the sides. She squeals and digs her sharp and large claws in his arm kicks a door and throws him out.

Chris stumbles and falls in murky and soft ground. Rain falls upon him furiously, is a downpour. He looks up and meets his eyes with hers.

She looks away and turns toward the Cabin.

“Help! He escaped! I tried to stop him but he hurt me!” She screams and then closes the door and runaways from the place.

Chris hears angry steps climbing steps down. He stands dashes. They won’t be able to find him that easily with the rain. She saved him!

Why?


	23. TEMERO

#  **TEMERO**

 

 

Another lightning flashes.

“You need to calm down” Uncle Jeremy says when he opens the door for her.

“Yeah, it’s easy for you to say” Allison grunts. “It wasn’t you after who they sent a hitman when you were just four years old” Adds sharply.

“What really matters here is that you’re lived” He pointed out getting into the driver’s seat and turning on the wipers so they can see their way through the thick blanket of water.

“Yeah, I’m alive because my mom sacrificed herself. Just what anyone wants to hear, you’re really good giving advises” She says sarcastically and another thunder cracks loudly when he turns on the engine.

“You seriously need to chill out” He says with a stark look fixed on the road.

“How am I supposed to do that? Tonight I learned again that my whole life has been a lie, it doesn’t matter how many times I think I found the truth, there is always some shit hidden beneath and to not mention the fact that I confirmed that I can’t trust my dad”

“You’re being too hard on him” Uncle Jeremy affirms as he takes the curve following Allison’s fingers as guide. “Of course you can trust your dad”

“But he doesn’t trust me” Allison replies with sadness and now tears climb to her eyes. She isn’t just mad, she is pretty sad too. There are so many things stuck in her chest right now and she doesn’t know which one she should let out first.

“That’s not…” He tries to reply.

“He doesn’t trust me” She repeats. “He thinks I’m going to screw everything up, that I’m going to be a crappy binder if I try to help him, that’s the reason he didn’t tell me where he was going”

It is so hard and painful to hear. Even harder coming from herself, but it is the truth.

“Where now?” Her uncle asks and she snaps.

“Take the left, three blocks straight and then turn right” She replies listlessly as she notices the excitement in his voice. It is true. Her dad and her uncle hadn’t see each other in ages, it must be weird to show up in his stash all out of the blue with his brother. She misses her dad so hard, but right now…All she wants is to slap him.

She thought brings another lightning.

Uncle Jeremy spins the steering wheel quickly as the intense light blinds them and Allison’s heart gives a lurch.

“Are you trying to kill us?” He grunts. “Control your emotions!” He orders moodily as he takes back the control of the car and keeps driving while Allison looks through her mirror the charred spot on the street where the lighting hit.

“Did…Did I really do….Did I really do that?” She says thrilled and frightened at the same time.

He nods without taking his eyes of the road. “You’re everything they said you would be”

She bits her lip and again tears climbs to her eyes. What is happening to her?

“Why are you so upset about it? This is the first day you bind in your whole life? Didn’t you feel before that you weren’t like the others?”

“I’m normal! I’m like anyone else!” She says with fury. “I’m just…This is so weird. I always did bind small things in the past. Nothing with this proportions. I mean, since I woke up this morning I barely saw the sun, and it won’t stop raining. Can a binder really have such power?”

Uncle Jeremy shakes his head and stops the car. Allison’s blood turns cold and she holds her breath.

“Is this the street?” He asks thoughtful.

Allison nods. She would be impressed that her dad would hide in such hideous place if it wasn’t before she knew this place already.

“In which one is his apartment?” He asks.

“Is the one in the middle” Allison says pointing the one with the worn front door and the dull light bulb on top.

He approaches the place and stops the car again. They climb down and the rain soaks Allison in a blink. They run to the door and come inside.

Allison shivers as she looks around the lobby to make sure they are alone.

She hears an explosion and jumps on her feet. The whole room becomes dark and she shrieks.

“Allison! Calm down or you’re going to get us in trouble” Her uncle urges her.

 _It…It was me?_ She thinks with dread.

“I’m sorry” She breaths in and tries to keep her mind blank.

Uncle Jeremy unwraps his coat and puts it around Allison’s shoulders. She breaths out relieved by how warm it is even when outside is flooding so badly.

“Where is it?” He asks in a whisper.

“Follow me” She replies as she walks toward the stairs as a thought crosses her mind and she snaps.

“Why you said no when I asked if a binder really can control a whole city’s weather?”

“We shouldn’t be talking about this things in this place, someone could listen” Her uncle mutters.

“It’s okay, I just put everyone to sleep”

Uncle Jeremy stops short and looks at Allison straight in the eye.

“What?” Allison frowns.

“How did you do that without training?” He asks blinking.

“Do what?” Allison says with concern, why he is acting so weird all suddenly?

“Put everyone to sleep in the building” He says as he resumes his walk.

 _Put who to sleep?_ “Are you okay? Uncle Jeremy?”

“Allison, you just said that you put everyone to sleep in here” He points out.

Allison shakes her head angry. “How am I going to do that? I can’t even control this stupid rain!”

“I heard you! You said it” He accuses.

Why…Why he is doing this right now?

“The only thing I said in the past ten minutes was a question and you haven’t answered yet” She replies bitterly as she stops before the door and make his signs to follow her.

Here they are. Her dad’s secret apartment. This is the perfect place for hiding considering that no one knows about it and her dad can spy anyone from inside and stay safe at the same time.

“Do you have a key?” Her uncle urges her.

  1. Allison forgot that she needs a key and she doesn’t remember where it is. The last time she….



It opens itself.

Allison gaps.

“See? Common binders aren’t so strong” Her uncle says stepping next to her. “You would need twenty years of training and fifty binders to control a city’s weather, and to not mention sending people to sleep without even interacting with them”

Allison holds her breath.

“You would need decades of hard training and instruction to do all the things you have been doing since this morning Allison, and the worst of all is that you make it look like child’s play”

…….

“He is not there Allison”

“What?” Asks Dylan’s voice is a mutter.

Stiles opens his eyes groggily and looks at his side. Dylan tosses on the bed with his eyes closed.

“So you speak on your dreams” Stiles says with a smirk on his lips. He is smiling, but…For some reason he is angry, but not just angry. He is furious, he is mad at someone.

Derek.

Why…Why Derek comes to his mind so suddenly? And why he is so mad at him?

His head spins and he is dazed. He can hear rain in the outside and the air is cold, yet he is warm, no. Hot. He is burning with anger and fury, he wants to find him and hurt him.

He knows he is mad at Derek almost all of the time for being such a douche, but…Does he really want to…To murder him?

He is so confused, even when he has reason to want Derek death –To turn Scott human again, for example- He is feeling this unnatural and almost alive need to find him right now and kill him. It is stupid, Stiles doesn’t feel able to kill anyone, even Derek or that Fenrir that has come to kill them all, but again…Why?

Maybe it has something to do with his sleep. He can’t remember what he was dreaming just a minute ago, all he can remember is the touch of cold drops on his clothes and an intense light almost falling right on top of him. What does this have to do with that broody werewolf?

It’s better if he gets some sleep, it will help to clear his mind and luckily his homicidal instincts will be gone in the morning.

Stiles takes a look at Dylan again and smiles. He looks so happy and peaceful in his sleep. He gets below the covers again and closes his eyes.

“Stiles…” The boy says in a mutter.

“Yeah?” Stiles asks half-asleep.

“I’m hungry”

 _Again?_ This is not normal. What kind of five year old is hungry at two am after almost eating a whole fridge himself?

“I’ll see what I can find in the kitchen” He says with tiredness and comes out of bed.

He comes out of his room half-awake, almost dragging himself out. He almost falls down the stairs and turns on the light of the living room. He looks for his dad’s coat in the couch, but it isn’t there. He is not home yet.

Stiles breaths out with some sadness and scrubs his eyes to finish waking up. What is going on in the hospital? He barely sees his dad lately, he should go and inspect, but if his dad or Derek…Derek…There he is again. Why…Why he has this weird need to wrap his hands around his neck?

He hate him. He is a monster! He has to kill him himself with his own hands for what he did!

Stiles snaps. What…What was that? Damn! It finally happened. He went nuts.

He gets into the kitchen and goes to the fridge, snatches some lettuce, ham and cheese to prepare a sandwich for Dylan. There is something seriously wrong about his kid. He’s always hungry and tired, he sleeps too much for someone of his age and that hunger…He should be puking right now for the amount of food that he engulfed today, and yet…Maybe he is sick. Stiles should Google about it after finishing the sandwich, because it doesn’t make any sense, and then there is the fact that he couldn’t cross the line of…

What was that?

He can swear he saw a shadow out of the… He shakes his head. He is really tired, maybe he can make his research tomorrow morning. Between Dylan’s hunger, Stiles question’s, his concern about the wolves situation, his dad staying to late night in the hospital, his classes and now his craving for killing Derek, he just….This is much of what he can bear. He really is losing his mind.

He finishes the sandwich and the takes the knife to the sink to wash it.

He spins the key and feels the extremely cold water piercing his skin. He groans and looks up to take the towel to dry his hands and now he not just see it, but listens to it.

Something just moved outside.

Stiles holds his breath and pretends he is still drying his hand. The bush in the right edge of Scott’s house, it moved slightly, which is easy to understand considering how hard is raining outside, but…The shadow….A shadow too big for that bush.

Stiles squints through the layer of the rain behind the window, he can see something glowing, something blue, a pair blue circles swaying slowly.

Stiles finishes and steps back without detaching his eyes from it until it is out of sight.

He draws his phone and hurries to dial. He picks up instantly.

“What do you want?” He asks with his usual annoyance.

He hates him. He wants him death. He is going… No!

“De…Derek”

“I’m busy right now, what do you want?” He grunts.

“Are…Are you spying on me again?” Stiles asks hoping he is right, even when it sounds weird and wrong in so many ways.

“What? No! Why I would do that?”

“So…You…You’re not outside my house?”

“No”

 _Oh shit._  

…….

They are coming. As soon as she is gone he hears them stamping, fighting their way out of the cabin to put their claws on him.

He runs. This is the chance he craved so hard and he can’t miss it. They were going to kill him. Everything would have been lost if…If it wasn’t for her.

Why?

He keeps asking himself that question over and over in his mind, as the darkness of the forest mixed with the downpour blind his senses. He can’t see them, hear their strides or feel their smell. But he knows they are coming. That’s the reason why he must keep running without look back.

“Where is he?” He finally hears a voice say.

“I think he went this way” A feminine voice replies and he stops to a halt and hides behind a tree.

The bitter cold rain makes his teeth chatter, but he manages to keep them still and he squints to see through the large and heavy drops hoping he can scrap into the dark and find them plotting there.

“He went this way” Erica’s voice says and now Chris makes out a hand pointing to the opposite to him.

He breathes out some relief and decides to wait for them to leave until getting back into his cave. It is dangerous to look for his way out of the forest in this conditions, even with his luck, he is not sure of where he is and if he might end up running into them eventually.

“I think I heard something” Theodore says thoughtful.

“Come one, do you really think he would be stupid enough to go back to the cabin?” Deborah chortles.

“Stupid, or smart?” Theodore replies.

“So what we should do?”

“Let’s split”

“Are you crazy?” Eric says shocked.

“What’s the matter? Are you scared of a hungry old man?” Theodore mocks.

“Alright, but if I catching I’ll get the credit”

“If I catching, no one will get any credit because he will be death by then”

“Stop saying crazy shit, Damian is going to kill us if we lose Argent”

“We will lose more times and our heads if we don’t move right now” Deborah urges and they all grow silent.

Chris takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes. He is counting in his mind. Even when it might look like a torture to reach five saying each number on his mind, he reaches ten and then he finally stands up.

He looks around. He thinks he knows where he is, but this annoying rain blurring his vision, it is a bit complicated for him to confirm where he is, especially in the dark.

He looks up and since is so cloudy, he can’t find stars in the sky to guide him, but he can listen to the dripping on water. He knows what that sound means. He is near the lake.

Guided by his ear he starts following his ears and making sure to stay undercover.

After another ten minutes he can see a vast display of darkness right ahead. There is no gnarled and scrawny shapes. Wind blows free and wild, making him shiver with every steps he takes. He got to the lake, if he can follow the lakes’ trace we will find his stash eventually, now all he has to do is…

“I knew I heard something” A mocking voice says from behind and Chris’ blood turns colder than this unmerciful weather.

He spins but is too late. They are already on top of him. They are two, a man whose face he can’t make out in the dark and the she wolf he guesses must be Deborah.

He pins Chris’ head to the muddy ground. He notices now that the lake flooded a bit, because his head is now under….

He can’t breathe. He is chocking, he throws his hands up looking for something to hold on to, to fight but he is so tired. He has been fighting for his life for so long, is something that never ends. He just want to leave everything behind now.

He can hear his own heartbeat. He is about to reach a minute and a half without breathing while the claws of his chapter keep digging deeper into his throat.

If it wasn’t for Allison…He would have given off a long time ago. He just can’t stay arms crossed. Die like a simple person and leaving his girl behind.

He has no weapons, he is tired and hungry. He is a feral animal. He can see it now.

Chris grabs the wolf’s arm with both hands and kicks up. The werewolf steps back moaning holding his crotch as Chris takes his chance and comes out of the water taking a big gulp of cold and fresh air into his lungs.

“You won’t get away with his” Deborah roars.

She lumbers to him and Chris prepares to dodge but she never gets there. She is swept to the side like a rag doll.

Chris blinks a couple of times relieved and confused, and now he can see the large and furry shadow of a scaring monster.

It snarls and Chris shivers.

…….

“So, I’m a freak even among binders” She stutters as the cold sweeps her again.

“Is not…I…I don’t know how to explain this, but there is nothing you should feel ashamed about. You’re special”

_I’m a frigging monster._

“We will talk about this later, okay? We must find your dad before it is too late” He says with concern.

“Too late for what? Do you know something I don’t?”

“Allison, the size and the strength of the storm you created is not normal, an according to today’s forecast, it would be a sunny day”

“So what? Maybe they just made a mistake”

“Forecast aren’t wrong ever, that’s what they make you believe”

“Who?” She frowns making him signs to follow her inside.

They are in her dad’s secret apartment. She hadn’t been here in months, since the last time she came hoping to find him here.

“The STCU”

“So…Every time that the sky…”

He nods looking around. “This place is empty” Says balling his hands.

“Easy, there is a secret room below” She explains pointing at the main room where the dresser awaits for her.

“So, you think that whatever I did might draw their attention because it wasn’t something they had plan or under control?”

“That’s right, they control everything and has eyes everywhere, a storm of this size…”

“Those are great news!” Allison says relieved for the first time in days.

“No Allison, those aren’t good news”

“Why?” She says angrily as she enters the room and slides her hand inside the gap of the dresser’s. “They are powerful, they can come here and destroy those bastards”

“Is not that easy, we must find your dad first, alright?” He advises.

“Why? Don’t you see that all our problems can disappear in matter of days? I have a bad feeling, I’ve been having it the whole year and today! Today it is especially strong, I live in fear, I can’t sleep, it’s driving me crazy, I feel like something awful will happen in matter of seconds, or hours and I won’t be able to stop it!”

“Allison, we must find your dad first. We can’t attract the STCU here just yet, if those wolves have been quiet and I hadn’t make much noise in the past days, is because they don’t want them here yet”

“So? Is better that way!” She roars. “If they don’t know they are coming it will be even better!”

“You don’t understand! You’re a child, you’re not trained. It would be dangerous for all of us if you call them” The man says furiously. “Promise me you won’t do anything”

Allison’s bottom lip wobbles. Why? Why he is acting this way? Doesn’t he understand?

“Promise it to me Allison, promise me that you won’t do any calls to the STCU until your dad and I agree is the right moment”

“I won’t accept any orders from you until you tell me the reason”

“You want a reason?” He scoffs with despise in his voice. “Great, here is it” He takes a minute to stare at Allison straight in the eye with disgust.

“Your dad and I did something many years ago, and we have been in danger our whole lives. Before we can decide to call the STCU we must talk with a lot of people and make some deals to make sure we will be safe after all this ends”

“What? But…” More questions. Again there are more questions inside her head.

What…What they could have done to have to make deals before getting any help?

“I won’t say anything else, this is personal information and it should be your dad who gives you answers about it, now take me with him, the sooner we meet, the quicker we will put an end to all this”

Allison nods a bit embarrassed. She gets into the iron ladder and climbs down in the darkness until she feels the ground beneath her feet. All she can hear now the thuds on the metal as uncle Jeremy follows her down.

Once in the tunnel that takes to the room she feels how anxiety grows inside her. She feels what she might find out now about her dad. The more she learns about him, the less she likes.

When they reach the arc she tugs out her phone and turns on the flashlight.

He is not here.

Is easy to say, even when the room is large it is all covered with cobwebs, there aren’t any screens or computers neither a single chair. It looks just as it looked the last time she was here.

“Is here?” Uncle Jeremy asks with disappointment.

Allison nods. “This doesn’t make any sense. I thought…I thought he would be here! I thought that when he said he couldn’t tell me where he was going, was hoping for me to look him here!” She shouts furiously.

“Why he keeps doing this to me? Why he can’t trust me? I could be of help to him”

“Allison…”

“I’m so angry! I’m sick of all this, of my dad lying, of going to bed scared as shit, of pretending that everything is fine at school, or my friends keeping me secrets none….None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for Derek Hale, he tried to kill me, he killed my mom, he turned Scott into a wolf! He was the leader of those motherfuckers that killed all those people months ago, it has always been him. It will always be him, until…Until I kill…”

“Allison!”

“I’m going to kill him. I’m going to…”

“What’s that?” Uncle Jeremy asks frowning.

“What?”

He takes her hands and aims it to the left corner to her, the flashlight lights up the wall and the ground and then Allison spots it. Something shines in there. They both approach slowly and she kneels to take a better look.

Laying in the ground is a silver knife, shimmering with the light of the flashlight.

“Blessed silver, it’s not the best, but it still can be useful to defend yourself”

Allison takes it in her hand and grips it tight when an stronger glint almost blinds her

She squints and takes the tiny object in her hand, it is an arrow head. But it has a strong hole around it that makes almost impossible to look at it directly.

“Careful with that” Uncle Jeremy warns her.

“Why? The halos can’t hurt humans”

“Who said that? Anyway, I’m not talking about them. Do you see the yellow patch in the tip?”

Allison squints a little more and finds a short yellow stain right when her uncle points out.

“Is temero”

“Temero?” Allison repeats confused.

“Poison itself, something despiteful and forbidden. You can recognize it by its greenish yellow color and for containing blessing proprieties within weapons”

“What do you mean despiteful?”

He chuckles. “It is the original poison, they say it can kill any living creature in seven minutes, and not just that, during those seven minutes you will remember the most painful and hurtful moments of your lives, it not only kills your body, but your soul”

Allison holds her breath.

“I wonder where your dad got this, it needs strong bindings”

“So what?”

“Your dad can’t bind anymore”

Something shudders inside her. She is not sure but she keeps hearing that, or she just imagines she did? At this point she isn’t sure of anything in her life anymore. “Why you say that?”

“He must be seriously desperate for killing and torturing”

Answers. Answers. She isn’t sure why she keeps bothering on trying to get them, they will never lead them anywhere. “I’ll take it with me” She affirms with bitterness.

“You must be careful with that thing, you only have one shot and you must be utterly sure of who you’re using it”

 _Derek_. His name comes to her mind almost instantly.

“I think I know where Derek is, we can go now. We can finish him together”

Uncle Jeremy’s eyes pop open. “Are you crazy? Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m sure. I don’t just despise him, it isn’t just hatred. I need him to die. I see it clear now Uncle Jeremy. I can’t trust anyone in this world, no my friends, or you, not even my own father and all because of Derek. He destroyed my life and I’ll destroy him and will enjoy every second of those seven minutes”

He looks at her with some terror.

“Allison! This has been a long day for you, there are so many things you discovered and you need to get some rest”

“All I need is to find Derek!” She roars and tears climbs to her eyes. Why he doesn’t understand? Why he can’t see how broken she is? She won’t be the same ever again, not after all the things she have lived and learned. She is so lost and she can’t see a light at the end of this dark tunnel. There is nothing here for her anymore.

“You don’t know what you want! You’re drunk and confused, rage has took over you. If that Derek is the same Derek that murdered your mom, he is a token, he is a chance if we use him wisely when…”

“I don’t care! I want him dead!”

“Enough!” He growls furiously.

Allison bits her tongue and balls her hands.

“I’m taking you home Allison and we will not discuss any more of this until we find your father”

“But…”

“I mean what I just said, now let’s get out of here. We have school tomorrow and you’re drunk”

Allison’s breathing comes out of control, but she follows him.

To her surprise, Scott isn’t home neither his mom when she arrive. She doesn’t bother to cook or eat. She just take a hot bath to wash the rain off her. When she gets in bed the world she finds out that the storm got even worse in the last hour. She sighs hoping she can calm herself.

Takes her phone in her hand to look for Scott’s numbers. She knows she is mad at him for some many reason, but know she now fears for his life. He is with Derek and Derek is dangerous. He will kill Scott eventually, and she knows Scott is not even, even after everything she can see that beautiful and pure heart through his eyes. If she only…Today she misses his warm body and words more than ever.

Stiles in other hand….She is so upset and dazed right now that she can’t control her emotions. Her anxiety fear and the panic inside her doesn’t let her concentrate. It is useless, she can’t talk to anyone. Not even Uncle Jeremy understands her pain. She is alone in this world and again, it is all because of Derek Hale.

She rises her finger to turn off her phone when she notices the forecast widget in the main screen.

She taps it and looks through that day’s prognostic. Uncle Jeremy is right, it was supposed to be a very hot and sunny day. She scrolls up to get out of the page when it refreshes and a news pops in front of her. She frowns at the picture and squints to read the header.

“Strange storm sweeps four states”

……..

It’s all a mess. Why…Why he didn’t draw a line of fertility after getting Dylan into his house? What the hell was he thinking? He…Wasn’t thinking clearly. If Dylan can’t cross lines he would be safe inside until Stiles found his mom, but now…Now everything went to shit because he has been so careless. If he was it after all…Because…Because maybe he didn’t do it subconsciously so certain wolves could come inside his home whenever they want to.

  1. He thinks with terror growing inside him with every breath he takes.



Whoever is out there is waiting for something. Maybe the wolves into the forest said something about him. He recall that crazy man’s face as he saw Stiles with excitement.

They came here to kill him, or turn him into a werewolf. Either one is the scariest thing that can occur to him, though…If he dies…Maybe the other could have a chance, as a werewolf he would… He would be forced to betray his friend and take part in the bloodbath.

He must do something quickly.

He steps back slowly with his eyes still fixed in the window opaque by the intense rain.

When he is sure he is out of the angle of vision of whoever is hiding in the bushes he turns and hurries to run upstairs. He saved some graveyard dirt from the time he fought the Wendigo outside the forest. If he could…. Just get a bit of it, he could fight or at least stay alive long enough to tell Dylan to hide into Scott’s home.

He gets to the stairs, but before putting a foot on the first step a hand comes from behind and yanks him from his shirt sending him flying backwards until hitting his head with the top of the hearth. Stars fly before his eyes and his mind gets cloudy.

“Is he upstairs?” Stiles hears a woman’s voice from above. He blinks and finds two shadows standing right before him.

“Yes, the scent is stronger there” Replies a male voice.

“Let’s go them”

“What do we do with this one?” He asks as Stiles makes an effort to recover his senses, but the world won’t stop swaying.

“I think is dead already, why bother with him?” She says with despise.

“Yeah, but…There is something odd about his scent”

“I know, it would be better if we let him to die, it could be dangerous”

Stiles listens to the shuffling of feet. They came for Dylan. They are here to hurt him. He needs to do something quickly or else something awful might happen to the kid.

“I’m not dead” He manages to say in a mutter and then he scoffs. “I though you alphas were tougher”

They jolt and quickly. A hand comes out of nowhere and takes Stiles by the collar of his shirt. He blinks and finds a pair of blue eye staring straight at his. There was a time when he thought that Derek’s blue was cold and sharp. Now he just found a new shade of coldness. Even though the she-wolf’s spheres glow insanely he can only see a dark void. Something raw and wild, she bears the hatred itself inside of her.

“I’m surprise you’re not dead yet, but we have not time to play. We must go now”

“What? Are…Are you scared?” Stiles chuckles though he is sweating and stuttering. He will die.

_Please Dylan run away._

“Aren’t you afraid of dying boy?” The male werewolf asks with some sarcasm and yet a bit of interest.

“I should be the one asking that question” Stiles replies more firmly this time. Absently he sweeps the brick wall at his back trying to find something that he might use as a weapon.

“I’m not sure if you’re just stupid or I hit you too hard” The she wolf mocks. “I can smell your fear, and is tasty”

“Maybe you’re feeling your own fear” Stiles mocks.

The she wolf turns to exchange a glance with her partner which lets Stiles a chance to reach the edge of the chimney and snatch the fire poker.

“Is funny how humans are so haughty, you better keep your mouth shut”

Stiles looks around trying to find something else that might be helpful. “Or what? You’re going to cry harder when I kick your asses?”

“He really thinks he will scare us, don’t you know what we are?”

“I know perfectly” Stiles affirms. “The problem is that you don’t know who I am” Stiles jiggles and swims the poker hitting her in the head.

Blood sprays his hand and she lets out a cry as she releases him and falls in the ground.

Stiles lands on her tights, before giving the other wolf chance to react and stands up and knocks him in the crotch. He roars furiously. Maybe he can’t stop them, but if he makes enough noise might alert Dylan to run. Maybe doesn’t stand chance against them, but at least he can buy some time for the boy.

“Grab him” She shrieks as she supports in the coffee table to stand up.

Stiles pales and looks back to run to the other side when a golden glimmer hanging not far from him calls his attention.

He looks back and finds them lumbering toward him. He darts to the door that takes to the back yard and with all his strength he hit’s the grandma’s bell’s using the fire poker.

The ringing and the buzzing fill the air, though it is almost imperceptible for him he knows his plan worked, because they are kneeling on the floor covering their supernatural ears with their paws as they screech and stare at him with hatred.

There is no time to lose. He bought a couple of seconds, fifty if he is lucky. He passes next to them at high speed, holding his throbbing and dazed hair. Climbs the stairs and opens his room’s door hoping to find it empty. Sadly…He is wrong.

Dylan is Stiles fast asleep.

“Dylan…” He hurries to stay shaking the boy a bit on his bed.

“S…Stiles?” The kid replies dazed.

“Listen buddy” Stiles says trying to stay as calm as possible. “I need you to hide below the bed”

“Stiles!” He says with terror.

Now Stiles notices that he has the she-wolf’s blood over his shirt.

“Stiles I’m scared”

“Is fine, just do what I say”

“Where are you going?”

“I need to go downstairs for a minute and then I’ll be here with your sandwich”

“Stiles…”

“Everything is going to be Okay” Stiles affirms.

The kid starts sobbing, and Stiles feels his heart rate reaching a dangerous level.

“Please Dylan, you must listen to me”

“Stiles don’t leave me alone, please don’t go…Stiles don’t go…Don’t go”

Stiles takes Dylan by the collar of his pajama and forces him to get below the bed.

“Listen…”

“But my mommy, she never came for me…She said she would and….I want my mommy…I want….Don’t go…Please don’t go!”

“I’ll be okay. I promise. I’ll come back for you. I swear” Stiles affirms and he listens steps in the stairs.

“Stay right here” He mutters as he turns on his heels and prepares to go out of his bedroom when a silver object calls his attention from the top of the drawer at his right.

He can do this. He has to do this.

…….

A tree fell, then another. The cold wind cuts Chris’ skin like razors, the rain blinds him, and yet he keeps running. It doesn’t matter how far he gets.

It is always behind him.

It is so dark that he can barely see anything. He needs to find his way out of the forest. If what they say is true and they are trapped in because of a line of fertility, he has a chance to get out and leave them here, but where is city? The rain clouded his senses, clogged his ears, folded his eyes and shut down the stars.

He trips. It is amazing that it took this long, but it happens now suddenly and Chris loses his balance. He falls over mud and leaves in a steep ground that takes him rolling downhill followed by the creature.

As soon as Chris stops rolling he stands to stay out of the way, but it is too late. The monster crashes with him and crushes him below its heavy body.

Growls and snarls, the air escapes Chris’ lungs and he fights for breathing in, choking in mud, rain and the reeking scent of the beast’s soaked pelt.

It stands up and Chris takes his chance to roll and breathe in. He listens to moans at his back and finds Deborah dodging the monster’s blows.

“You’re not going anywhere Christopher Argent” She shrills out of herself.

“Theodore, he is here!”

Chris looks around desperate for finding a place to hide, but it seems like they are back to the edge of the lake again, because he can’t see anything ahead.

The monster sends Deborah flying backwards, Chris thinks about the possibility of getting inside the lake, but Theodore’s voice stops him. At first it sounds like a mock, but quickly turns into angry growls.

He takes Chris by the hem of his shirt and tugs but he quickly releases him. Chris turns and finds Theodore moaning and fighting to take the monster’s paws out of his right thigh.

“You stupid piece of shit!” He roars furiously as he jumps and digs his nails into the monsters’ eye.

The beast grows crazy and angrier. It swings its claws to all directions, letting out a haunting moan that makes Chris’ blood run cold.

Theodore kicks it back and then turns toward Chris with a crazy look on his eyes, while he licks the blood from his claws.

Chris steps back slowly and balls his hands to at least try to choke him to death.

Theodore lumbers growling furiously, his head lands on Chris’ feet. Whose heart stops beating as he stares horrified at Theodore’s body torn apart. With a blow of its paws, the best split him and with the other chop his head off before he got time to touch the ground.

It is still blind and now, it is angrier than before.

It attacks and Chris dodges. It follows its nose until finds Chris and lungs to him with shocking snarls that makes him feel uneasy and scared. It has been ages since he studied these creatures, but this is the first time he sees one and never thought they would be so scary and bloodthirsty. Wendigo.

He throws his arms back, looking for sticks and stones and he slowly recoils as he quickly uses a rock to sharpen a stick’s tip.

He chuckles. Maybe he will die, but he will be remembered as the first silver in killing a Wendigo.

He keeps stepping back, until he trips on something and falls on his butt. The Wendigo attacks and Chris flinches back grabs his stick as a knife, quickly stabs the beast in the chest and slides below of it.

Now from behind Stabs it again in the back, right where the heart should be.

The Wendigo swims its paws back trying to find him. A claw finds him and before Chris can react he is feeling the rain stitching the wound in his stomach. He doesn’t know how bad it is, but he can’t…He can’t lose his…

“The neck” She says from somewhere.

Chris puts a hand on his stomach and looks around.

“The neck!”

He shakes his head trying to clear up his senses.

She jumps on top of it. It sends her flying but she recovers midair and falls on her feet, jumps on top of it and grabs the beast by the head and forces it to fall on its back.

The Wendigo throw its claws in all directions whirling like a headless snake.

She digs her claws into its arms from behind and pins them to the ground. “Now!” She orders.

Stiles looks up and now he can get a glimpse of her face. Is she…The same she wolf he found in the wolf the other day, the same that captured him and later released him. There is blood smeared all over her face and she looks pale and terrified. Why…Why….

“I can’t hold it back any longer” She breathes out powerless.

Chris snaps and jumps on top of the beast sinking the stick’s pointy end into the Wendigo’s throat. It shakes savagely sending Chris backwards as blood pours out of its mouth and throat. It scarcely manages to stand up and turns toward her to try to dig its claws on her.

She dodges its attack in the last second. Chris gaps as he finds the Wendigo stabbing her in the stomach with its long claws right before dying on her feet in the same spot where she passed.

…….

“This is all my fault” Scott says looking through the window. Why Derek can’t go faster?

“Don’t say that” Derek replies moody.

“But it is true, I…I should have send him and Allison out of the town as soon as her dad asked me to”

“Did you see Chris Argent?” Derek asks shocked almost losing the control of the car.

“Didn’t I tell you?” Scott asks a brow. “Never mind. I should have listen to him, Stiles and Allison would be safe now, I should have known they would come after him any time. It is all my fault, they are doing this to go after me”

Derek scoffs. “They aren’t after you Scott, I’m the one they want. They want to us him to get me”

Scott hears Isaac snorting in the back.

“What are you talking about? He is my best friend, if they have been really spying on us all this time they now you hate him”

“I don’t hate him…Much” Derek says embarrassed. “He is just so annoying, I told him thousands of times to stay out of our business. Damn it”

They are almost there. Just a couple of streets more and they will be there.

 _Please let him be alive, please…Please Stiles hold on._ Scott thinks feeling how my guts squirm. He is angry and sad and so mad right now. “I’m going to kill that bastard if he did anything to Stiles. If anything happens to him I…”

“Stop blaming yourself” Jackson affirms.

Scotts prepares to reply but Derek is faster.

“He is right. This is all my fault. I should have listened to Eric and Vernon. If I had, we would have an army larger that the Fenrir’s by now”

“You’re wrong” Scott swallows. “At what cost you would have such army? Whipping humanity from the world? Making everybody a werewolf so they can survive? I bet most of them would wish to be dead than turned into monsters” He breaths out heavily, and then he realizes what he just said.

“I didn’t…”

“Don’t worry. I know what you mean” Derek affirms with some pain in his voice as he stops the car.

Before he notices, he is out of the car running toward Stile’s home while the rain soaks him wet in matter of seconds, it is so intense, that he can’t see anything apart from his nose. His senses are clouded by the raining. He can’t smell a thing, except for…Except for two things. Two things that are actually the same. Happiness and Sadness mixed in single bodies. Pain and joy but now one of them is also drenched in fear and determination.

He is alive, and he is fighting.

Scotts gets into the porch and opens the door instantly followed by Derek and Jackson.

The living room of Stiles’ home is dark silent. Now that he is out of the rain he can smell a couple of things inside the house, like a just made sandwich in the kitchen, but there is no trace of Stiles, where can he….?

“Guys!” Isaac yells from outside.

They quickly spin and meet the cold and heavy drops attacking them like millions of arrows. Scott gets to the left side of the house, where shadows crouch and flinch. They are more than one.

Derek lumbers toward them and Scott follows him.

“He is up there!” A female voice says furiously.

Scott looks up right where she is pointing and spots him. Stiles is hanging from the windowsill of the guest’s room.

“Stiles!” He shouts with desperation.

The boy cranes his neck toward Scott shocked and falls. Scott’s heart gives a lurch and he hurries to meet him, but a man and a woman are already there waiting with their claws outstretched to catch Stiles.

Scott pulls out his own claws with big effort and faces them, but he can’t stand a chance, before he realizes the she wolf has spun and knocked them down. The air escapes his lungs, and he pants trying to breathe desperately on the wet floor.

He blinks and the she wolf shrieks in pain.

Isaac helps Scott stands up and when he cranes his neck, he almost gets breathless again.

Stiles backflips in the last minute and lands on his feet. The she wolf tries to catch him but he dodges her easily and with his feet makes her fall on her back. Before the other wolf has a chance to react Stiles has already caught him by the ankle with something shiny, looks like a very slim chain. The werewolf trips and falls too.

Stiles takes short and sharp breaths.

“I’m going to kill you!” The wolf says as he quickly stands up and fur starts coming out from all his body while he stretches and literally grows bigger and bigger until his clothes are torn apart.

“With what? Your stinking hair?” Stiles mocks and something hits Scott.

He was under control. Stiles was under control while they…The ones that should have been protecting him are all gaping staring at his abilities.  

“I got her!” Scott hears Jackson’s voice says with excitement.

“Let me go!” The she wolf growls sending him flying back with a single blow.

“Terry, come here” Growls a voice more animal than human.

She quickly takes off her leather Jacket Derek hurries to catch her, but she hits him in the stomach with a kick and he falls on his knees holding his stomach.

She turns now, even scarier than the male wolf.

Scott hesitates, he doesn’t know what to do. His body is moving by itself and before he notices he is changing. He takes his chance attacks accompanied by Isaac they both go after the male wolf whose has completely turned and now is a gigantic black wolf with green eyes.

It howls and in a second is in top of Isaac, Scott kicks its head and it falls to the side growling furiously.

She comes from behind and hunches her sharp and long teeth on Scott’s right arm. He cries in pain as the blood stars pouring out and she shakes him like a rag doll in the air.

 _No…No…No!_ Scott thinks fighting for his life when it all ends suddenly.

She releases him. Scotts falls on the floor and now she turns toward Stiles roaring with utter hatred. Whatever he just did really pissed her off.

She moves fast and smoothly. Scott tries to stand but a wave of pain immobilizes him before he has a chance to do anything.

“Stiles run!” He urges him.

Stiles stays right there waiting for her with his arms outstretched. She jumps on her fours and opens her muzzle widely showing all her pointy teeth.

He was always there. He has always fighting alongside Scott since they were kids. He can’t just imagine it. He can’t just picture the idea of losing Stiles. He is everything he has apart from his mom and Allison. He can’t just…Why he has to be so weak? Stiles will die, and there is nothing he can do about it.

Scott throws himself onto his stomach and starts crawling feeling the pain in his arm like million knives poking him because of the rain. He can’t see clear or hear anything. He can see his shadow. He can see Derek standing up and running toward him.

He is going to save him. He will save Stiles.

Scott makes a new effort to stand and he quickly has to throw himself to a side as the she-wolf comes flying backwards toward him.

He gaps and before he realizes Stiles quickly jumps over him. Scott turns and finds him landing on top of her. How…How he could jump that long and high?

She screeches and then Scott listens to a low frequency but powerful thud that makes him shudder.

Back to him, Stiles breaths faster and faster and when he turns. Scott finds that the wolf have turned to back to be a human woman of brown hair.

“What did you do? What did you do?!” The male wolf says with desperation and terror. “You murdered her! Murdered her” And now Scott notices that he is back into his human form. A naked thirty years old man.

Stiles turns to him and the light of Scott’s room comes from above illuminating his best friend’s face. He’s wearing a grin, a wide and scaring grin that makes Scott shiver.

“She is not dead” Stiles affirms calmly. “Do you want me to kill her? That would make you climb another step Jake. Another accident during a mission, like you did with Leonard, and Hugo and…”

“Shut up!” Jake roars with fear leaping through his voice. He darts toward Stiles showing all his fangs and claws, but somehow Stiles is already behind him.

Jake lets out a shriek of terror as Stiles calmly puts a hand in his shoulder, but he doesn’t dare to move.

“She is alive. I’m not a monster like you Jake, though if I were you I wouldn’t care much about climbing steps. You’re just a tool, used by everyone, and now is my turn to use you. Is that alright?”

Jake nods. Scott looks around and notices that everyone stares at Stiles openmouthed.

“Tell Marcus and Damien that this guy down there” He points toward Scott with his slim and long index finger. “He is the strongest werewolf that ever lived. It doesn’t matter how many more of you puppies they make, this is it. No more running or hiding. They both will die in the next full moon”

Scott swallows now feeling all the eyes on him.

“Now go and take her with you” Stiles says giving him a pat in the back as if they just became friends.

No one dares to move while Jake quickly runs toward Terry and hauls her over his back. All they can hear is the strong dripping of the rain over the concrete floor.

Scott looks up. His room’s light is out again…Allison…Did she see that?

“They are gone” Isaac finally says after what felt like twenty minutes.

Jackson comes out of nowhere and helps Scott stands, who hurries to run toward Stiles.

His best friend is standing without moving a muscle as he has been doing the past minutes. He looks like a robot. He doesn’t blink or moves his eyes. Now Scott notices that he his shaking….He is….Afraid of his best friend?

How in the hell did he do all that? They couldn’t stand a chance against those werewolves, how did he manage to get rid of them both? What about those moves? Or that _“He is the strongest werewolf that ever lived?”_

“Sti…Stiles?” He asks hesitantly.

Stiles cranes his neck toward him.

Nothing.

He can’t explain it with words, but Stiles…Stiles isn’t there, it is like…The light in his eyes is back.

“Scott! What happened to you?” Stiles asks jerking quickly toward him. “Are you okay?”

Now Scott recalls that it is supposed that they don’t talk to each other, and now they stare into the other’s eyes with awkwardness.

“Are you?” Scott asks still dazed for all the things he just saw.

Stiles nods. “Yeah, I’m fine and I’m so sorry, I should have listen to you. I was so scared and I thought I was going to die, if you would have come I…I”

“You’re kidding right? It took longer for us to get here than what you needed to kick their asses” Jackson points out joining them.

Stiles blinks. “It was you Isaac?” Stiles looks at him shocked.

“How did you do that? They were so strong! There was a minute when I thought that…”

“Are you feeling okay monkey? What are you talking about?”

Stiles snaps. “Why are you acting so weird all suddenly?”

Scott gasps. “Us? Why are you acting so weird?” This doesn’t make any sense. None of this…How is that…?

“Stiles…” Jackson starts with some dread in his voice. “What is the last thing you remember?”

Stiles bits his bottom lip breathing heavily he…He is scared. “They came in and I tried to find something to protect us. I fooled them and make them fall from the guest’s room’s window but they almost dragged me with them. I fell and you guys showed up and saved me”

He…Doesn’t remember…He doesn’t remember, but…Why?

“You kicked their asses” Jackson says amazed.

Stiles frowns. “You got to be kidding. I was frigging scared. I almost died, all I remember is the rain and you guys coming over, you fought them while I was near shock”

“You did it yourself” Derek’s deep voice says mesmerized. “You saved yourself and us. Again”

Stiles blushes and looks down embarrassed.

“You should get inside and bath before you get a flu or pneumonia”

Stiles rolls his eyes and stands to get inside, but after turning he quickly snaps and cranes his neck toward them again.

“Stiles are…”

“Derek!” Stiles shouts.

“Derek!” Now he roars furiously. “I’m going to kill you!”

Scott freezes as he spots Stiles passing by him to get Derek, Isaac and Jackson try to stop him, but he dodges them without any issues.

Derek falls on his back and Stiles grabs him by the hair. He has this mad look again in his eyes.

“Stiles!” Scott says desperate. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m going to kill you big son of a bitch!” Stiles growls as tears climbs to his eyes.

“You’re a monster. She was good! She was going to make big things! And you…”

Stiles’ neck cranes to the side and he snaps. “Der…Der…” Stiles struggles to say. “Stay away from me”

Derek stares at Stiles frigthened. “What is wrong with you?”

“I don’t want to hurt you! Run! Run Derek! Run! I can’t …Hold her back any…more”

“Stiles what is going on with you?”

Jackson and Isaac try to take Stiles from on top of Derek, but Scott doesn’t know how they are now lying on their backs on the floor.

“What is happening to you?” Derek asks with concern taking Stiles by the arms.

Scott cant’ see them, but he can smell the salty tears on Stiles cheeks.

“I…Can’t…I wanna kill…No! Run now!”

And suddenly he stops short and stands from Derek’s chest.

“Stiles” Scott Says with dread.

“She is here”

Scott hears all the light bulbs in the street exploding and now everything is pitch dark. All the can see is the shape of a girl walking straight at them surrounded by an intense light.

Is Allison.

…….

There is nothing but her on sight. It almost feels like if they have been dragged into another world. Derek can’t see the streets or the surrounding houses. He can’t feel the scent of the others. Only Stiles and Allison’s, if it wasn’t for that and for the now unbearable storm, he would believe that he has been swept from existence. He would believe that Stiles just murdered him.

Was he…Was he really going to do it?

“Get out of here!” His voice suddenly says with utter terror within.

Now Derek is awake again. The white noise of the rain intensifies and now the drops are hitting him badly. Almost hurting him.

Stiles spins and with a simple touch of his palm sends Derek back him.

It hurts. It hurts pretty badly where the boy just touched him, but he didn’t mean to cause any pain. How that is possible that a single brush of his hand can make such damage?

“You took everything from me” Her voice’s whispers and Derek’s heart gives a lurch. He can’t see her now from behind Stiles, but he can swear she is right next to him. Flying in the wind or…Just inside of him.

“What…Who are you?” He hears himself say with dread, not sure if he asked that question to Allison or Stiles.

“I’m just a poor little girl you tried to murder twelve years ago” Says the wind.

Derek comes from behind Stiles and Allison steps ahead. When her feet meets the wet floor a lightning crashes behind her. Again and again while she calmly approaches.

“Der…ek” Stiles pants as if he is trying to speak with a knife stuck into his chest.

“Allison…What…What is going on?” Scott asks from the left as he hurries to approach her.

Allison doesn’t bother to look at him and keeps walking steady and menacingly as a lightning keeps meeting the earth behind with each step.

“Allison! Are you okay? What aren’t you listening to me?” Scott says with desperation taking her by the arm.

Allison swims her arm up and Scott falls on his back several feet behind.

“What the hell?” Says Isaac growling as he run toward her. “What is going on with you two? I want answers now!” He dashes toward her but now she is behind him, and with and after flicking her hand quickly Derek hears Isaac’s arm snapping while he lets out a high pitched cry.

“Stay away from here Derek” Stiles repeats with fear in his voice.

What is he doing? Why he is hiding a teenage boy? He knew they both were strong, but had no idea of how much that meant. Either way, this is all his fault, it has always been. He knew this day would come sooner or later and he can’t keep running from it anymore.

Derek stands still holding his stomach in the place Stiles’ palm touched him. “I’m here. I’m ready” He says with his head high though he feels like a piece of garbage after what he done to this poor girl.

She is now behind him. “Good” She says with a shivering coldness in her voice.

Allison grabs Derek by the throat and rises him high. He feels her nails digging deep into his skin as he stars choking, but it doesn’t matter. He will be free now, after all this years, after all this pain. He lost the war before even starting, and yet…The rain isn’t hurting him anymore. His face feels in pace as each drop falls on his forehead and falls down his cheeks.

She lets him go.

Derek blinks when he falls on his knees and looks up to find Allison on the ground and Stiles in front of him again.

It is like minutes ago. Stiles is looking at him in the eye, but he can’t see him clearly. One of his eyes has Stile’s annoying and dumb flicker covered in terror and confusion, while the other…Is cold and sharp, an assassin’s look struggling to break free from its jail.

“Derek….” He says with his voice. This is him, at least for now. “You need to stay away from us. Before it’s too late, I can’t hold it back anymore”

“Who? What you can’t hold back? What is happening to you?” Scott says coming out of nowhere kneeling next to Stiles.

Stiles parts his lips to reply but Allison is now in the middle of them. Everything happens too fast. She rises her left foot and kicks Stile’s jaw strongly.

Scott jolts and stands to grab Allison, but she dodges him without any effort.

“Mind your own business Stiles! I don’t want to hurt you!” Allison growls furiously. “This is between Derek and me! It has always been between the two of us!”

Stiles rejoins without much effort and laughs as he whips the blood from his lips.

“Are you sure you don’t want to hurt me?” He arches a brow.

Allison nods, but Derek who hurries to join Scott can see she just hesitated.

“Please Stiles” She says with fear leaping through her eyes. “Don’t…”

“I’s itching Allison!” Stiles replies with a mad look on his eyes. Derek can’t see them, but he can smell the tears in his cheeks. “Your hand, I bet you can’t help it. Mine is itching too….So badly…I can feel how it is about to explode” He points to his chest with his finger.

What is going on with them?

“No…” Allison cries shaking her head. “No!” She cries out now furiously and the apex of comprehension and humanity that she just wore a second ago vanishes.

“I’m going to kill him! You hear? I’m going to kill him!”

“You don’t want to kill him! You’re making everything up! This isn’t you!” Stiles shots back.

“Shut up!” Allison cries and jumps on top of him.

Stiles laughs and Allison rises her hand furiously. The wind intensifies and now windows are clattering, somewhere birds are shrieking and the lightning is so constant that is like been inside a club’s party.

Lightning. Allison slaps Stiles crying.

Lightning. Scott grabs Allison by the back.

Lightning. She jumps from on top of Stile’s draws a knife from her belt and comes through Scott’s arm with it pinning him to the floor while the young wolf cries in pain and anger trying to break free and hurting himself in the process.

Lightning. Jackson is next to Derek now. “We need to get out of here, we have to find help. Deaton…”

“No!” Derek says furiously. “This is all my fault, I have to take responsibility for what I’ve done to her”

Lightning. “Don’t pretend to be a martyr you son of a bitch” She roars taking Derek by the back of his neck and starts crashing his face against the floor. It only takes a few hits before he is covered in blood. He is losing his conscience.

“Allison wait” He says as his face meets the ground for eight time.

“Stop it Allison. Stop running” Stiles grabs her by the back of her jacket and sends her flying backwards to the middle of the street.

Allison screeches insanely and Derek looks up to see the electric charge coming straight to him. It never touches him though. Stiles is holding the ray with his hand and now he is surrounded by pure bluish light that fades away in two seconds.

How…How is that possible?

“Kill me Stiles!” Allison says with sadness.

Derek looks up, the madness is gone from her face, but doesn’t look like Allison either.

“Please!”

“Allison…”

“Enough, Stiles” Derek on the floor as he struggles to stand up.

There is blood in his eyes and his head is spinning fast by the pain and the dizziness.

“Derek” Stiles gaps at him.

“This is all my fault” Derek affirms with pain in his voice. “I’ve been running from this my whole life. I’ve been trying to right my wrong for years but we all know that I can’t bring her mom back to life”

“But…”

“I’m here Allison” Derek opens his arms wide. “I won’t try to defend myself in any way. We both know what I odd you and death can only be paid by death”

“You’re making this too boring” The mad Allison is back.

“Derek…”

“Shut up Stiles”

Stiles gasps and steps back Derek slowly moves his face toward him. He is himself again, fully and he is scared probably as much as Derek is too.

“I won’t try to defend myself with one condition”

“I don’t need your conditions” Allison chuckles with despise. “I will kill you whether you want it or not”

Derek nods admitting his defeat. “Then consider this my last will, even when I don’t deserve it”

“Allison! It wasn’t him! It was all a trap, they want it your mom dead, that’s why…”

“They wanted me dead, to hurt my mom! That’s why they sent him!” She says whimpering.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t those them, but other them”

Derek chuckles. He can’t believe that moron seriously said that. He is back to be the same dumb and quirky boy he…

“I’m waiting Derek” Says Allison taking her hand to her back to snatch a powerfully shiny arrow.

“Temero” Derek says with a grin. “So you’re planning on making me suffer till the end”

“Is the least I can do after twelve years of intense suffering” She shots back.

Derek nods. “You’re right. Alright, here is my last will. You can torture me all you want, but leave Scott finish me”

“What?” He heard Scott say from somewhere in the dark.

“This is all I ask. Let him break free from his curse. After I’m gone don’t look back, you must get out of the town. Change your names there is a large pack in England. You can hide with them, they will protect you”

“I would rather die than live among wolves” Allison spits.

“Then let them go. If you’re not going, promise me you will take them to a safe place”

“I won’t listen to any….”

“That is what your mom would have done” Derek affirms.

“Shut up! You didn’t know my mother to…”

“You’re wrong. I knew your mother very well. She was the kindest person I ever met and that is way….”

“That’s why you killed her? That’s why you betrayed her?”

“I was…”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Allison prepares her arrow and falls to the side.

“What are you doing?” She shrills dodging Isaac’s and Jackson attacks, one on each side. Scott joins them and now Allison is having more difficulty to catch up their movements.

“Let her go! This must be done this way!” Derek orders.

Allison flinches a quick from Isaac, takes him by his broken arm and he falls on the ground moaning, now takes Jackson by the head and crashes his face on her knee. Finally she turns toward Scott.

“I warned you once to stay away from me, or else I would kill you”

Scott steps back frightened.

“There won’t be a third warning” She says slapping him. “If you try to save him Scott I swear I’ll put an arrow between your eyes” Said so she turns and before Derek realizes the light-bathed arrow is flying toward him, with such strength, that when it comes through Stiles’ heart, it sends him flying back several feet until it meets the side of the boy’s house where it hands him as if he is a disturbing painting.

The storm stops short.

Scott is shaking his head. Derek blinks once, twice. Something deafened him. He knows Scott is calling Stile’s name loud and urgently but he can’t listen a thing.

The eyes go from Allison’s hands to Stiles chest.

Allison falls to her knees staring at her making with absent eyes and her mouth open in a huge gap.

Isaac and Jackson run after her but an invisible wall knocks them.

“Hi” His voice says.

Derek’s heart quivers and he turns toward Stiles followed by Scott.

“Hi” Replies Allison.

Derek stops to a halt and looks at both of them in the darkness. Their eyes have a pale glow. Their bodies are in front of each other, but they are looking somewhere else. Their looks are lost in the horizon.

“You’re the voice that I always listen in my head” The both say at once.

“My name is Allison”

“My name is Stiles”

“I knew that already”

Scott and Derek exchange glances confused and then something pops. He can’t explained, but it feels like being thrown back into a place with air, life and sounds.

An invisible veil of tension just vanished

Allison starts breathing heavily and now she looks around disoriented. Confused.

“I’m…What…..I’m….Stiles….I can’t….” She looks up and finds Stiles hanging on the wall with his head down and his eyes closed.

Scott starts breathing again and now his eyes are on the boy too.

“Stiles” He says in a whisper.

“Stiles” He repeats a bit louder.

“Stiles!” He cries aloud.


	24. HE'S GONE

#  **HE’S GONE**

              

 The dead body started reeking at record time. Such decomposition rate was startling to behold and more strangely was the fact of how sudden the storm died.

Everything is calm now. There is something disturbing about this entire situation. There aren’t any sounds around, and maybe he is losing his mind, but the water that was over his ankle two seconds ago scarcely touches his soles.

This is a binding, but from who? Is that boy or his daughter really strong enough to almost drown the whole town with just their will-power?

And now the other bodies.

Chris looks at them openmouthed. The head of Theodore just a couple of feet behind him, with its eyes wide open from the moment he saw the beast dismember him. They say that a head lives for five seconds after being separated from the body. Werewolves are stronger than human. Their heads can last twenty seconds before finally dying, there is even a story among binders of a werewolf that fought for two hours without his head and he didn’t die until he finished the last man of the army he was facing.

It is hard to image something worse than seeing your headless body from far behind.

Deborah’s corpse is there too. She fell on her back and a tore branch came through her chest. Her eyes are wide open too, but she is not breathing. Her body is cold and stiff and there is no light in her pupils.

He must get out of his place as soon as he can. Now that the rain is gone it will be just a matter of seconds until they come for him. They are fast and strong, he is sore and tired. His best option is to leave the woods. They won’t be able to follow him out, of course he will be exposed in the city too, but with some luck he might get to his apartment before they get him but…

He turns at his back.

There she is. The she-wolf he found the other day, the same one who trapped him, and also…The same one who helped him scape and told him how to get rid of that thing.

She knows things.

She saved him twice.

 _Damn it._ Thinks Chris looking around hoping to not find Erica and the rest of the wolves. This choice seems right and wrong at the same time, she might kill him after all, but…He needs to know.

He takes her by the arms and starts dragging her. She is cold, but her body is warming up at an alarming rate. She will be awake in an hour or so. Now that the rain is gone he can see his way out. Luckily, his stash isn’t too far from there.

It was a long and tedious journey. Her body was pretty heavy. He hadn’t eat or sleep, he is exhausted and yet he managed to get her on his back and slowly walked away from that place carrying his hostage with him. It was difficult to get her inside, and probably she would have drown while he swum to get into his safe place. Werewolves are extremely heavy underwater despite humans, so it was a burden he thought he wouldn’t be able to endure, but this was something he had to do.

Some branches he left there days ago are finally dry. After trying for twenty minutes he manages to light a fire. Above of it he puts what remains of the rabbit she caught for him days ago. His mouth waters when the grease begins to melt and drips on the floor and he throws himself on the ground to get some rest until it is ready, but he has no chance to do so.

She coughs and roars. Chris crouches, grabs one of his knives and pins her on the ground.

She looks around confused and scared.

He sits on top of her and squints. “Is time for you to talk” He grunts.

She looks up and meets her eyes with him. Her frightened expression turns now into a sneer and she snorts.

…….

His scent is fading. It will be just a matter of minutes until he is completely gone.

_Idiot._

“We must take him with Deaton” Says Jackson appearing suddenly next to Derek.

“There is no time to lose” Agrees Isaac with hitched breath. “How can we get there?”

Derek looks at dark patch were Allison was standing just a second ago. She is gone. The rain stopped instantly as soon as her arrow went through him. What that’s supposes to mean? Was the storm his thing or hers?

The water is setting back to. Minutes ago he thought that if Allison didn’t kill him they would drowned anyway with such amount of water. Now most of it is gone and he can see full dry patches around him.

Behind him, he can feel Isaac’s presence approaching Stile’s body. With his eyes still fixed on the road he parts his lips. “You shouldn’t do that”

“Why not?” Asks Isaac’s furious and frightened voice at Derek’s back.

“Derek…” Jackson starts.

“If you take the arrow he will die faster” Derek explains sternly.

“So what do we do? Just stare at him until he dies?” Jackson says shocked.

“Don’t watch if you don’t want to” Derek replies with his eyes fixed on the road.

He didn’t notice when Isaac takes him by the arm and makes him turn angrily.

“Look! Look at him! He is dying! Are you seriously telling me you don’t care?”

Derek looks up, but his mind isn’t doing so. His eyes are on Stiles bloody lips and the arrow that comes out from his chest, but he is not truly watching.

“I told him to stay out of our way. You told him too and he didn’t listen”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jackson roars making Isaac to the side the pinch Derek with his finger in the chest as he makes him step back.

“He is hanging there because of you! He tried to save you!”

“He could just push…”

“He save your life you big sorry asshole! He has been there for us all this time! He helped Scott! He found the way to control him. He kicked my ass and went after you when Erica, Vernon and I tried to kill you! He saved us from that thing the other night! Don’t have at least a bit of sympathy for him? He hadn’t do nothing more all this time to get his ass in trouble for us this is how you thank him?” Isaac roars.

Derek can notices how his claws and fangs come out.

 _I don’t owe him anything! I told him to stay away from all this and he didn’t listen!_  “Go ahead, pull him down. Let him die in your arms while you take him to Deaton. He only has five minutes left anyway. He is dead, you guys have to let him go”

“I can’t believe you’re seriously saying that” Says Jackson with tears in his eyes.

“He is dead, is scent is almost gone”

 _His scent is almost gone._  It is a weird thought. He know they can feel it too, along with Stiles scent, fear, anxiety and a burden…Something they have been living with for so long without noticing, is vanishing slowly. “You won’t get to Deaton’s at time”

“I’m fast” Jackson reminds him. “I’m faster than you’ll ever be Derek, I can get him there”

“Good luck then” Derek nods.

“Wait a second….” Isaac says frowning.

Derek and Jackson stare at him and unconsciously Derek looks at Stiles hanging there and his guts squirm.

 _He is not making a joke of it._ He wouldn’t shut up and now…He won’t make his snarky remarks anymore.

“Scott is gone”

Derek snaps and looks around. He is right. Scott is gone. He probably went after Allison. Will he be able to…?

“There is no time for that. Let’s go!” Jackson hurries them.

Isaac approaches Stile’s body while Jackson takes off all his clothes as the fur starts covering his body, until the boy is gone and replaced by a massive golden wolf.

They are trying it. Even when they now it is a lost case.

Just like Stiles had been doing until this very night. 

…….

He is gone.

That’s the first thing that comes to her mind.

She doesn’t understand what have happened. The last thing she recalls in being in Scott’s room reading the weather report about the storm.

 _The storm I made._ Is it true that she was able to do such thing? How is it possible?

Her next memory comes from the moment she felt on her knees and then started running away.

She can’t explain why but…She knows. She hurt Stiles.

She murdered him.

She falls over the cold and rusty street. She just scrapped her knees and the blood starts streaming down.

She is bleeding, both in the inside and the outside.

He is gone.

She put an end to her best friend’s life. Not just her best friend.

 _My other half._  She thinks frightened. A lump climbs to her throat.

She wanted to kill Derek, it was him! Everything is his fault! His mother died because of him!

Why? Why it had to be Stiles? Why?

“Stiles please” She says breathless as she stands up and continues her run.

A howl.

A frightened howl not so far from her.

Allison know notices it. She can’t actually measure the distance. All the lights in the town are out.

The rain stopped, the storm faded though the clouds remain. Everything around her is black as ink. She has been running for at least fifteen minutes in absolute darkness.

Another howl. Nearer this time.

She would think she fell in some kind of void if it wasn’t because the temperature in the air is dropping at an alarming rate. She is shivering and now she can see her own breath. It’s the only thing she can get glimpse of in this eternal nothing that has slumbered in the town.

Her knees are even colder. Right where she just hurt herself, she can feel the cold creeping like a living thing into her body. She can’t remember putting on that skirt or anything else.

God! What is going on to her? Why she can’t remember what happened?

When another howl cuts the quietness of the night she keeps running and trips again. This time she isn’t fast enough and before she realizes the ground hits her forehead.

The hard struck stuns her and she sees him in the stop bus long ago when they met for the first time.

“My name is Stiles” He says in her mind.

That was the first time she felt the…

 _The spark_ Allison thinks with terror.

She jolts with trembling hands and tears in her eyes. She looks at her right hand. Stiles…Stiles was always there…She could feel him every day of her life in her right hand, the same right hand that…Shoot that arrow.

That’s what she saw right before running away. Stiles hanging several feet from the ground with an arrow that came through his heart. An arrow poisoned with the foulest of venoms.

 _I killed him._ She realizes now. She actually did it. She shot the arrow that murdered him. That broke their bond and lit off their spark.

She desperately touches her face her arms her body. He is gone…She can’t understand why but…

Another howl. Just a couple of feet behind.

Allison runs faster.

She can’t understand why but she feels empty, as if something have been just sucked out of her. She can’t feel him anymore. She didn’t notice, but he was always there. Stiles was always inside of her mind and heart and now he has been replaced by a void. All she can’t find is darkness. It is killing her.

She is fading. She is becoming insane. She doesn’t know how or why she did it. All she knows is that he is gone, and a part of her faded with him.

She knocks her head again, this time without falling.

It is a soft and shaggy surface. She looks up and finds a pair of glowing red eyes. The only thing she has seen in almost half an hour.

Her heart skips a beat and she falls on her butt, shifting backwards as it remains still and the puffs of whiff come out fast an heavily from its nostrils.

“S…Scott?” She stutters before standing up quickly to run away from him as fast as her legs allow her.

She trips again. Her knees meet the street’s concrete anew, but her face finds leaves and a soft and cold muddy soil.

He roars at her back.

She recovers and gets into the woods desperate to find a way to wake up from this nightmare.

…….

It is pitch dark all around him. All he can see is the golden tail of the wolf several feet ahead of him.

 _He is right. He is faster than I though._  Thinks Derek as he runs in his human form along with Isaac.

He has been counting the seconds from the moment the arrow seized Stiles. They just got three minutes left. Even when Jackson has made a stunning run toward Deaton’s home, it is a lost cause. There is no time left for them to save Stiles’ life.

 _Stiles._ How weird his name sounds now, as if it was something for a very distant past. He feels like it’s been ages since he saw him for the first time in the woods with Allison sharing stories about their mothers’ deaths.

He recalls the way the boy looked at him when he told them they couldn’t be there. He said something dumb and snarky as he always used to. He pretended to be brave, but Derek could smell his fear from leagues and also so other disturbing, heartwarming and scary things. Just as he felt them in her.

It is almost more unbelievable the way he fought tonight. How he humiliated that pair of bipedalist in front of them. He has always been strong. Derek knew that, but he never thought he could achieve such things neither that he would be able to have such control to even stop a lighting with his bare hands and not suffer any kind of wounds. Even more shocking when the line he drew around the woods the past days came into equation. It should have drained all his strength. It should have leave him defenseless against those wolves, and yet he kept fighting and succeeded.

He fought Allison too, and also said so incoherent things. Things Derek would like to ask him if he wasn’t dead.

What used to be an intoxicating and frightening reek that covered miles and miles around the boy, now is just a small foul whiff. He has no doubt the Fenrir must be aware now that the boy’s life has come to an end.

Maybe it was Stiles, maybe he was the reason they didn’t attack at once or took Derek captive when he offered himself the other night. They might have thought it was a trap, considering Stile’s powerful and terrifying stupor that lingered on Derek’s skin even several hours after taking a bath.

Maybe they will attack now that he is gone.

He hopes they do. He will chop the Fenrir’s head with his bare hands and put an end to this nonsense once and for all. If he can. The STCU must be aware by now of what has been happening in the town. He just hope Scott gets the change to finish him at time to rid himself of the burden he have put on his shoulder and save himself from the consequences.

He is there. He might not see anything but Jackson, but his feet know the way by the own.

The golden wolf stops to a halt and Stile’s body bounces up by the sudden break.

He should have known Jackson couldn’t carry him. That fool, he didn’t even know Stiles that well, they barely talked at school when Stiles moved in the town. Derek knows Stiles didn’t like Jackson much because of what happened with Lydia. Maybe he didn’t intent to but his ears were stubborn and liked to listen things didn’t concern him. That’s why he knows Stiles wouldn’t have liked to be taken by Jackson.

It shouldn’t have been him.

Now he will fall on the cold street.

Slowly Stiles’ body is claimed by gravity and he starts falling down. The golden wolf leaps and in a blink he comes back to be a blonde human boy and now his arms are outstretched to catch Stiles.

_He have gained control in short time._

 “Deaton!” Jackson shouts at the house.

As soon as Derek addresses him, he notices that Deaton home’s lights are lit. It has to be some kind of binding, because you can’t notice it until you’re right in front of it facing the invisible walls that keeps them away.

“Is he still breathing?” Isaac asks with concern when he stops next to them.

“Slower at every minute, I can’t hardly feel his heartbeat” Jackson says quickly before focusing his eyes back to Deaton’s front door. “Deaton!”

Derek peers from Jackson’s back. He is there lying limp like a rag doll. His skin as turned so pale he might vanish in the wind.

Derek balls his hands and Stiles eyes pop open.

Derek’s heart lurches and Jackson and Isaac gasp astonished.

Stiles’ arms fly quickly and Derek steps back taken by surprise, but instead of looking for him they yank Jackson by the shoulders making him bend before the boy’s face as he makes an effort to stand. Sweat runs down his temple. His eye’s underline are turning yellowish and his mouth looks now as dry as parchment.

“You won’t die” Derek manages to understand from the scrappy nonsense that escapes from Stile’s lips. “You hear me? I won’t let you die”

“S…Stiles I’m fine, there…Is nothing wrong with me” Jackson replies hoarsely. Derek doesn’t need to look at him to know he is sobbing.

_Stupid cub._

“It is the fever and the poison” Derek explains rolling his eyes. Doesn’t he know anything? It is just Stiles being the same dumb boy he always has been. Making promises he knows he can’t keep.

 _He knew he couldn’t keep._  

“Deaton!” Isaac Joins Jackson.

“Derek you got Deaton’s number right? Call him now!” Jackson urges him.

“You won’t give me or…” Derek was saying when the Binder’s voice interrupted him.

“That won’t be necessary” Deaton says sternly as he sits on the steps of his portico.

“Deaton please! You need to help stiles, Allison…” Jackson starts.

“I know what she did” Deaton cuts him dry. Maybe Derek can’t smell Deaton’s scent now because of the barrier, but he can tell he is upset.

“You need to help us!” Isaac urges him.

Deaton stays seated in the steps wearing his bedclothes.

“Why you won’t let us in? He’s dying!” Isaac growls.

“It must happen this way”

Derek listens the words that sign Stile’s death warrant and nods as Isaac and Jackson exchange glances openmouthed.

“But…Why? Why would you let him die?” Jackson stutters taken aback.

“He must die for the greater good”

“You should save him! Just as you saved me!” Jackson growls. “This is unfair”

_Twenty six, twenty seven._

Deaton scratches his chin and for half a second Derek can notices his hand’s quivering. “I tried to save him. I told him to stay away from you many times and he didn’t listen. If you want to save the town and everyone you love, let him die”

“THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE!” Isaac bawls throwing himself toward Deaton and being expelled back by the invisible wall that protects his house.

“None of the shit he says ever makes sense” Derek snorts.

“Shut up Derek! Shut up! I’ll kill you here! I swear! This is all your fault! He took an arrow to save your sorry ass and you…”

“I never asked him to do it!”

_Thirty three, thirty four._

“It doesn’t matter, if the situation would have been the other way around, he would have been here. With his chicken arms! Carrying your body, begging Deaton to save you, because no one else would have come, because the only person who ever cared about you is dying on my arms” Jackson cried out furious.

Derek’s nostrils inflates as he breathes in furious. “Don’t you think I don’t know that? But I knew this would happen! This is way I told you back there to forget about it. It doesn’t matter how much you care about that moron. He will die anyway because Deaton doesn’t care about anyone but his daughter and himself. He will do whatever it takes to stay safe! That is why I told you that back then, so you won’t be this disappointed. I know he would have threatened him, break the line and force him to save any of us, but we can’t bind. We can’t cross this line and we can’t save him.

“That’s not en…” Deaton tried to say but Isaac cut him off.

“Why? You saved. Derek, Jackson and Lydia. Why won’t you save Stiles? Why?” Isaac demands.

“For you to live. You all need to live. You all needed to stay alive for the yet to come. He should have died much earlier for all of you to live at the end, for Allison to save as many lives as she can in her wake to stop all this madness but you…”

“Save lives? She just killed him!” Isaac roared.

 _Fifty eight, fifty nine, sixty._ Derek swallows and clears his throat. “It doesn’t matter now. She used Temero on him, and seven minutes have already passed”

He is gone.

…….

Red, left, right.

Soft mud. Red.

Old paper, cold, leaves. Many leaves all dead. Sunny days, water splashes, joy and rain. Flowers, thousands of them and dead butterflies.

Red.

Red.

Red.

Two hundred paws away.

Rosemary.

One hundred and fifty.

Shrieks.

Black, endless void.

A trunk, a dead deer, the bliss of her scent in her neck.

Ripe peach he craves to taste.

Red. Redder.

He told him once to think as a hero.

He is gone now.

“And then I just kissed her and she slapped me” He chuckles in his mind.

“I told you not go after her Scott. Carrie just likes jocks and let’s face it, we both are losers” Stiles grins passing him the bottle.

Red.

 _He._  

_Is_

_Gone._

“You’re not going to Portland alone!”

“But mom!”

“You’re thirteen Scott, you seriously think I’m going to give you my car to go on your own to that stupid concert? I can’t go with you boys. I have to work. I’m really sorry but we won’t discuss this anymore”

“I told you she wouldn’t change her mind”

“Yeah that sucks, but…She will be working the whole night…I don’t think she will…”

“Stiles! Are you suggesting that we should steal her car? What’s going on with you? You’re supposed to be the one to takes those ideas out of my mind!”

“So what? We both know we’re going to do it anyway”

Red.

One hundred paws.

“I’m really sorry Stiles”

“Thank you for coming”

“I wouldn’t ever leave you alone in this. She was like a mother for me too”

“I know”

Red.

Fifty paws away.

“You are a hero ok? You’re not a monster, you’re going to do great things. You’re going to protect your mom, and Allison and all the town. I know you can do it! I know it, just think as a hero. Think as a hero and everything will be fine”

Ten paws away.

She is breathless and sniveling.

He can almost taste her sour tears.

Her ankles. He can see them now, urgently running away. Blood beating through them, just a single slash and she will be his.

Red.

“I’m pathetic”

 “You tried to kill yourself!”

“I know! As soon as I make the cut the wound is already healing”

  “He almost die today, looking for you by the way”

“Why? Why? After all I said and did to you why you still care about me? I feel it deep inside me, I’m a monster. I want to dismember people I can feel it, so why?”

 “Because you’re my friend, and no matter what, I’ll always be by your side!”

“You’re not bad Scott, I don’t care what you think. You’re the nicest guy I now and I would let that all this crap sink you! I’ll stay by your side even if you try to push me aside, ignore me or kill me”

_Stiles._

“Scott?” She cries.

Red.

“Scott? I don’t know what happened ok? I didn’t want to hurt him! I know I did it, but I can’t even remember! Something is happening to me! I wouldn’t ever hurt him! He is my friend!”

He keeps listening to this noise, those…Are…Words, but…He can’t…Understand their meaning.

_Stiles._

Red.

Rosemary. Flowers and death.

Stiles would have known what her words meant, he knows everything. He knew everything. He knew how to stop him, he did it before, but he can’t do it now.

She falls on the soil.

He lumbers.

“Scott, please let me explain you, you’re scaring me”

That noise…He can…Almost…Understand it.

He would have known, he would have, but there is nothing where he used to be.

 His scent is gone.

His laughs are gone.

His jokes.

His stubbornness.

His cleverness. 

His joy.

His life.

Red.

He is gone.

 “You are a hero ok? You’re not a monster, you’re going to do great things. You’re going to protect your mom, and Allison and all the town. I know you can do it! I know it, just think as a hero. Think as a hero and everything will be fine”

She covers her head with her arm.

His claws get inside and she gasps.

RED

…….

She tries to sit but he beckons with his eyes to not even think about it.

“Can you at least take this thing off? It hurts like a bitch” She complains pointing at his knife in his arm with her eyes.

He takes his knife.

Her grimace softens as the wound disappears in matter of seconds, but before giving her any chance to counter-attack he pins her back to the ground digging deeper in her skin.

She cries in pain. “Motherfucker” She cries. “Where…Where are we?”

“Does it matter? You will die tonight anyway” He assures sternly.

She gasps and looks around. “What a crappy place” Snorts a bit more steady. “I would expected more from the famous longshot Argent”

“What did you expected to find? A full-sized screen? You destroyed my home”

She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t take part on that. Your beloved nephews did it. Damian was really pissed off. He almost killed them, but they just laughed. They said it would be too boring to just kidnap you. They wanted you to be the prey for once”

Chris blinks astonished. He can’t believe how cruel they could be.

That thought did cost him dearly. He doesn’t realizes he softened his grip of the knife and in a blink she knocks him to the side and removes it.

Chris falls on his back as she quickly immobilizes his legs sitting on top of him and pins his hands to the rocky floor using hers.

“That’s better” She chuckles. “I’ve always liked to be on top”

Chris tries to fight back, but she is too strong.

She looks more carefully to the place.

“The…Only way out of here is swimming?” She says shocked.

Chris nods.

“That’s why we couldn’t find you in the cave. This place is hidden underwater. You should turn off that fire or we might run out of air soon”

“There is a small hole above, enough air comes through there”

“But not enough smoke” She points out. “Wow, you got a dead wish, it would be better if you just smoked a whole cigarettes’ box at once”

“This is the better I place I could find to keep your noses away”

“Very clever” She ponders his statement. “If it wasn’t because Damian is in town and not hiding in the woods like a beast. You’re kind of a racist bastard you know?”

Chris rolls his eyes. “If you’re going to kill me, do it now. I’m growing bored of this”

She takes his knife from the floor and rises it.

Chris swallows and looks at her in the eye.

“Wow, you’re not even trembling. The stories are true, you’re a rough guy” She chortles.

“Mock all you want. It doesn’t matter if I die, you won’t win this war”

“Damian could kill you for saying that, years drove him a bit insane”

“More?” Chris laughs arching a brow.

“Oh look, you know how to make a joke! That’s cute” She giggles throws the knife next to her and releases Chris.

He quickly jerks up and hits his crown with the low ceiling, yet he manages to take the knife at once.

“Relax, I wasn’t planning to kill you”

He frowns. “You saved” He points out. “Why?”

“Because those morons were going to kill you. Duh!”

“What if they killed me? You just got to tell him you had no part on it”

“He would have killed me for not doing anything about. He is determinate to give you a trail”

“A trail?” Chris frowns.

“Yeah, Marcus and that other motherfucker don’t want to hear about it, but Damian now thinks he is a god since he claimed himself the new Fenrir, so he wants everyone to watch him declare you guilty of whatever comes to his mind. He really lost his shit already”

“You did, the moment you joined his sect. Who are you anyway?”

“My name is Alice”

“Well, I would say it is a pleasure to meet you Alice but I would be lying”

“Can you please stop pointing at me with that thing? You’re making me nervous. I told you I have no interest in killing you, and despite you it is an honor to see you again Christopher”

His heart lurches and aims now with the knife at her face. “Do we know each other?”

She rolls her eyes.

“Not in person. I mean. I used to go to Victoria’s meeting and took part of many of her acts pro wolf-rights. She was a beautiful human being”

He snaps, hesitates and before he realizes she takes the knife from his and puts it aside.

“I came here with a mission”

“Betray what you used to believe?” Chris asks wryly.

“Not, silly. I want the head of the man who murdered my family”

“And that’s supposed to be me?” 

She shakes her head and for once, the irony disappear from her stare replaced by grieve. “Damian came five years ago. As I said he claimed to be the Fenrir, and demanded obedience. We heard the rumors of him making a mega-pack but didn’t know he was dangerous. When our Alpha. My dad. Refused, he took off his head in a blink”

Chris gaps.

“Everyone fought him bravely and I would have too, but I was so afraid. I was a good person. I never hurt anyone and I couldn’t. I didn’t know how to fight and in the end, when everyone died he came after me and asked me if I wanted to live or die. I choose to live because I was a stupid and scared cub, but bit a bit as his pack grew bigger and new recruits joined my hatred for him got even stronger. He trained me, he made a weapon, but he doesn’t know he has been just honing the knife that someday will slit his throat”

“Why haven’t you do it yet?”

She snorts. “Are you kidding? He has thousands of wolves under his command. I can’t do it myself, there needs to be a rising”

“So…You’re not the only one” He points out thoughtfully.

“We are few less than three hundred. He still has way more, but he doesn’t know we exist. He thinks everyone is loyal to him, there are many that pretend to follow him and would betray us just to please him even when they hate him as much as we do. They are deeply scared of him. That’s why we can’t talk to everyone freely. But if many rise, we could take him down and stop all this madness”

“What do I have to do in all this?” Chris demands.

“We need you” She explains sternly.

“To kill him and die at hand of the other thousand? Is that why you trapped me instead of talking to me?”

She rolls her eyes. “I couldn’t just talk to you in the woods, have you ever heard the expression ‘the trees have ears’? That’s why I was so desperate to find your stash. I knew you were clever enough to find a place to keep well-hidden and yet have a way to spy on us. That’s why I took you to the cabin. There you could hear the plans directly from their mouths and then I would pretend you escaped and no one would be harmed. Actually I was planning on visiting you when everyone went asleep, but those idiots…”

“How can I trust your words?” Chris says incredulous, though deep inside he has to admit that if it was all a trap there are things that doesn’t fit in his theory.

“I’m not asking you to do it. All I want you to do is listen to me, then I’ll leave you alone”

“You saved from that thing” He points out.

“Yeah. I had to kill a pair of Wendigos the past months in our way here”

“So, they are Wendigos after all” Chris says shocked. “I thought they were just a myth”

“They were until Damian resurrected them”

“What do you mean?” Chris frowns.

“Things have changed” She says with terror. “He got eyes everywhere looking for the Hale boy. He had his hopes on him, that he would join him and together they would built the ultimate pack with an unlimited army, but ten months ago I don’t know where or how, he found or heard a story. He won’t tell me much, he just talk this stuffs with a small group. He is trying to summon something, a monster worse than any army”

Chris doesn’t like how this sounds.

“According to him, it can rise mountains at its will and bath on magma without getting any harm. He has been doing research all this time. He is frustrated because he has been following some instructions, but for some reason they are not working. He is doing something wrong and he’s crazy for finding the answer”

“So…The Wendigos are…”

“Garbage of a wrong made spell. Some weeks ago I overheard a conversation he had with his wife. He said to her he is planning on offering you your life if you help him finish the spell for him”

“I can’t bind anymore. Everyone knows that”

“Yeah. But you’re famous for knowing more than anyone about rare breeds. He thinks you have the answer, and while he awaits for you to go to him, he is making his awful experiments. One of his underlings have been working hard. Wendigos are strong but volatile. They only last a couple of minutes before dying. She has been doing experiments under the mask of an agent of the government to make everyone in the hospital to let her research without so much trouble and she got to extend a Wendigo’s life much longer”

“How much?” Chris asks with concern.

“Two weeks”

“They are trying everything on it to see how much longer it can last and if he doesn’t get to summon his monster at time for his battle against the STCU, he is going to build a backup army of them. Just imagine it. Thousands of wolves and Wendigos”

A shiver runs down Chris’ spine. “It would be the end of human kind”

“This is why you need to stop her”

“I can’t just go there and kill her! He has thousands of wolves in the city”

“Only three hundred are here now. The rest are scattered around the nearest cities. He thinks you’re here in the woods, at least that’s the only thing that Vernon got to tell him before his phone _‘died’_   He can’t come inside or neither we get out because of a line of fertility that a Binder casted around the woods. This is your chance. Get out of here and kill her. I’ll keep the rest busy telling them I saw you hiding at the other side of the lake. It would give you at least a day or two. You must stop her before is too late. You’re our only hope”

“What would happen then?” He asks with his heart throbbing.

“When the others know you screwed up his plans they will realize his not a god. When the time comes for us to rise more will join as soon as they see you”

Chris looks at her bright pleading eyes open-mouthed.

“You’re a legend Chris, they will follow as they followed your wife. You’re our last hope”

…….

As soon as Jackson says the words Derek’s heartbeat stirs up and bewilderment crosses through Deaton’s eyes too.

“He is breathing”

It happens in half a second.

Derek reaches to feel Stile’s pulse with his fingers, and Isaac prepares to fight Deaton’s barrier again. However they are swept by a rush of intense wind and the Binder’s voice echoes furiously around them like a ghosts’.

“That stupid girl!”

Derek does his best to stay standing as Isaac keeps pushing ahead to get to Deaton.

The man lifts the invisible wall for a second. Derek can feel it, his scent is now in the air, which means that he is allowing them to enter, but for how long?

“Bring him, Jackson” Deaton demands as the wind gushes out.

Jackson hurries to address him and Derek can see his way through him.

As soon as Jackson puts Stiles on Deaton’s arms he is pushed back by an invisible force and Deaton closes the barrier again, but not fast enough to keep Derek out.

“Get out” Deaton warms him without looking at him.

Derek snorts. “What? Didn’t you expect me to do that? What happened to your visions?”

Deaton puts a hand on Derek’s shoulder. Derek prepares to take it off in case it is one of his tricks, but before he has a chance electricity runs through him.

There is a drop of water falling upon a pond against darkness. The water is silvery but the drop is shining blue. As soon as it falls the water changes its color and another drop falls, this one is red, another green and finally stream falls down fluidly with all kind of colors and shades.

Derek opens his eyes gasping. He is sweaty and can hear shouts in the background. He is lying on the floor.

“What…What was that?” He asks coughing as he fells his dinner threatening to stain Deaton’s slippers.

“That is what the voices in the wind told me”

“That doesn’t make any sense” Derek replies holding his breath to ease his guts.

“Of course it doesn’t make any sense! You think I just sit to have coffee with them and they tell me, you will fall in love, you will buy a car. You will die at the age of one hundred? It is something more complicated than that”

“What did you show me?” Derek asks as he turns and finds Isaac and Jackson gaping at them.

“Those first drops are Allison, Stiles and you. They all mixed because there were possibilities. In one you died and in the other Stiles did”

“He hasn’t died yet” Derek points out. “You still can save him”

“I could save us all if I put an end to his misery”

“You hurt Monkey and I swear I’ll kill you!”

Deaton’s face becomes dark and he turns to the side the face Isaac and Jackson.

“I swear it, Deaton. If you don’t save him I’ll hunt you. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. I’m going to chop your head off”

“Really?” Deaton arches a brow amused. “Because…” He starts and Derek hears a shriek.

He turns to his left and finds Isaac on his knees in the floor. Shaking violently as if trying to stand up but being unable to do it.

“No…Please don’t….” Jackson roars and now Derek looks at him.

“Maybe Jackson will kill you before you have a chance”

The naked wolf has his claws and fangs outstretched and is dashing toward Isaac.

 Jackson jumps with his face red in fury and frustration Derek lungs at Deaton and the Binder turns now to him. With the corner of his eye he can see that Jackson stops short in the last minute and Isaac is now standing again, but as soon as he notices that an odd force takes control of his actions.

“Or Derek himself…Might be…”

_No._

“The one who gives the gift of mercy…”

He is fighting it, but he can feel it. He wants to rip Stile’s throat with his claws.

“To our dear Stiles”

“You’re strong Derek, but don’t resist. You have been wanting to do it from the first time you met him”

Derek is nearer with every second. It doesn’t matter how much he fights back, he can’t just…He can’t…His throat….Deaton’s…If he could just move a couple of inches above…He could kill him…Kill the man who saved him so many times in the past…It, would…hurt, but Stiles…”

It fades. Right when his clawed hand reaches Stiles’ throat he stops short and steps back gasping.

“I hope that taught you a lesson. I’m not interested in killing any of you. It was Stiles decision to die, not mine. All I’m doing is trying to do is respect his will”

“What do you mean?” Derek demands.

“You two. Go! Find Scott before he kills Allison. If she dies, we’re all dead”

“She? Why would we help her after what…?” Isaac was saying, but Deaton cut him short.

“Go!”

The young wolves turn and run away without saying anything else. No doubt Deaton’s will is forcing them again.

When they are gone Derek turns toward the man and grabs him by the arm.

“What do you mean by it was his decision?”

“Stiles knew one of them had to die in the hands of the other”

“No! She wanted me, not him!” Derek affirms.

Deaton shakes his head. “That was just the context of their fight. There are possibilities so strong that cannot be avoided. One of them had to kill the other and the survivor should be the one who brought the corpse, not you”

“Is not a corpse” Derek warms him.

“He will be soon. It was his choice Derek. For the greater good”

 _His choice? What is he talking about?_ “How long ago he planned this?”

“He didn’t planned it exactly. He just listened to the unavoidable possibility of one of them dying by the hand of the other. It was him in the end who choose who would be”

“So, he didn’t know it would happen this way?”

Deaton shook his head. “I just told him he had to choose. But he was stubborn and she is. He kept fighting, he could die any day of the past months, without actually being her victim. It would have made things less hard for everyone, but even when he knew he would die in the end he fought”

“That’s the way he always has been”

“I know” Deaton agrees.

“What changed now?” Derek asks as Deaton walks inside carrying Stile’s body and he follows him.

“She did” Deaton says angrily.

“What do you mean?”

“If Stiles died by her hand, it would be poisoned by Temero. She wouldn’t be able to bring him here at time and he would die in her arms two streets from here”

“Why it didn’t happen?”

Deaton starts climbing down the steps of his basement and lights of the light the bulbs with a flick of his wrist. “She changed the poison”

Derek shakes his head. “No. She used Temero. I could smelled it even in the rain. Its smell is too strong”

“It is?” Deaton arches a brow. “That’s weird. I can’t smell anything”

 _It is true._ “But…How? I saw her shoot her arrow toward me, it got Temero in it!”

“It is clear that she changed the poison right before it hit Stiles”

Derek’s heart gives a lurch. “Can she do that?”

Deaton places Stiles on the cold metal table and shreds his shirt to reveal the boy’s pale and wounded chest.

“She shouldn’t be able. But it seems that I underestimated her”

“How is it possible? How can she change a poison without even touching it?”

“I don’t know” Deaton affirms. “But it changed everything”

“She couldn’t change his fate completely, but she tried the odds to mess with me”

“What are you talking about?”

“The probabilities were forcing this fight to happen. It would happen sooner or later, and her arrow poisoned with Temero would finish it, but instead she unconsciously changed the venom hoping I had to make the choice if save him or not, she fucked me. And to make sure he got here at time…”

He pointed down. “Do you see? He is not bleeding”

_It is true._

“He didn’t bled to death when you pulled the arrow from his chest. She used the same mix of herbs her dad used on you. Since she saw it once, I guess she could copy it in her mind, which was very useful for her cause, because it clots the blood around wounds”

“Then you can use the flower. The one you used in me to save him”

“I didn’t say I was going to save him, and the flower I used on you it’s a very rare specimen and died the night you lived”

 _You have to save him, I can’t owe my life to that moron again._ “What are you going to do then?”

“I have to choose. It was a tiny possibility. This future shouldn’t exist and yet somehow it happened. Now is up to me to decide what comes up next”

“What will happen if he lives?”

“I don’t know, I must speak to the voices. He will wait here until I’m done”

“But…He…”

“He is strong. He can last at least three hours, and I’ll need just a half. When I’m done. I’ll make my choice and whatever I choose…If you try to stop me, I’ll kill you”

…….

“Scott, please let me explain you, you’re scaring me” She says.

He blinks and stops short.

She below him, lying on her back on steep muddy ground.

Her lips are wobbling and tears fill her eyes, yet…

 _How is it possible? I killed her._ It doesn’t make any sense. He saw her blood in his claws that now are just hands, and he’s fur has vanished, he is just a naked boy in the in the woods, right in front of the girl that used to be his girlfriend.

It wouldn’t look good for a police officer to find them this way.

“You’re alive” He says stunned.

What was it? He saw and felt how his sharp nails dug into her stomach and her blood streamed out in rush sweet and intoxicating. Something he craved for so long.

“I….I…” She stutters. She is sniveling so hard she can manage to spell a single word.

“Go” He mutters looking down.

“You are a hero ok? You’re not a monster, you’re going to do great things. You’re going to protect your mom, and Allison and all the town. I know you can do it! I know it, just think as a hero. Think as a hero and everything will be fine” Stiles says in his mind.

_Stiles is gone._

“I…I…Scott…” She keeps blabbing inconsistently.

“You’re alive” Scott repeats. Now that he recovered his senses, he can reconnect the dots of what happened half an hour ago. He is gone, he is truly gone.

He can’t feel Stile’s scent at all.

“You’re alive” He keeps saying. He knows he is about to get in shock, he just…He just can’t still process the idea of Stiles being dead. It is something weird to imagine. It felt as if it was just yesterday when he told him…When he told him that it was all his fault. When he told that all the awful things that were happening to him were all his doing.

_And now he is gone._

He is dead.

He is dead.

The boy who helped him study. The one was always by his side at school. The dumb boy who always got him in trouble with the jocks. The friend who dried his tears when his dad went insane. The beautiful human being that carried him to the bathroom and washed him when he thought he was a monster. They quirky boy who always made jokes and was smart and strong, and loyal.

The only person apart from his mom for who really worth to fight a war already lost and pray to win.

_He is gone._

“Scott…I…Please…I don’t know why…I didn’t mean to…”

“Go” He repeats.

“But…”

“Go” He says a bit louder.

“But Scott I…”

And it comes to his mind, the last thing she said to him before shooting the arrow that killed his best friend.

She should die. She is evil, she killed him. The nicest person in the world. He has to kill her.

It is his duty.

Scott bends and lifts Allison by the collar of her leather jacket.

He peers in her eyes, they are big round and green, he recalls how much loved to spend hours watching in then, trying to puzzle out what was coming through her mind in those moments. He loved her so badly it hurt, they had a short and beautiful relationship, it was something silly and very bright, and even when it was only his first relationship. He knew he loved her.

_Forgive me Stiles._

He still does.

“Well, well, well. Look what we got here”

 _Damn it._ He has been so concentrated in Allison that didn’t notice their presence.

“It seems that you opened our way back to town” Eric chortles.

She is surrounded by other three wolves. Vernon among them. They all got wicked smiles.

“Is nice to see the strong boy again, all stripped down. Wow! If I knew you were that big down there I wouldn’t have tried to kill you”

“Get out of here” Scotts warns her.

“Or what? Are you going to kill us? Show some respect wildling” Says another she-wolf.

“Would you mine to go with us back into town? I’m sure Damian will love to see you and your witch-whore” Eric laughs.

“Is she the one?” A male werewolf asks. “She was the binder who locked us? She has a very intriguing scent”

“Get out!” Scott grunts at them.

“Or what? Do you really…?”

“GET OUT!” Scott roars furiously. His lungs burn in seconds as a mighty blast comes out of him echoing from all directions, sending birds to fly and animals to flee. It grows louder and stronger as almost a whole minute pasts and now she can smell their urine.

_Cowards._

They are looking at him in awe as they lay on the floor with terrified stares fixed on him.

He didn’t have to say more. As soon as he is done, the jerk up quickly and vanish in a blink.

He now turns to Allison, who looks as scared at them.

 “Get the hell out of here Allison” She tosses her to the ground.

She lands on her back, gasps, and hurries to stand up quickly.

 “If you ever get in our way again, I’ll kill you”

“Scott...”

“GO!”

She is not that fast. At least not now. When she fought Stiles she was faster than any wolf he have ever seen, yet…Even when she does her best, she is just another foul human running for its rotten life.

He is gone.

She is gone.

He lost them both in the same night.

He gasps. He kicks, turns trees into splinter and runs. Runs as fast as he can to leave all his memories of Stiles and Allison behind. Several minutes pass as he dashes naked as a feral thing, but he never is fast enough to flee away from them.

Right there, at the top of the hill. In the cold and bushy top, he stops and looks far below to the east side of the city. The lights are finally coming back, whatever thing Allison and Stiles did is fading now.

He looks up and meets the half-full moon with his eyes and feels the need to reach her. There up his memories couldn’t haunt him. He could live in peace and forget.

He howls painfully craving for her to get down and take him with her, but she doesn’t move so he howls harder until his chest aches and his tears soak him wet.

He is gone.

She is gone.

“You should have killed her” A voice says at his back and his heart quivers.

…….

Just seconds after Deaton left, an unnatural wind as the one of the storm’s finds its way inside the house. Even when all the windows upstairs are closed and the basement lacks of them.

His heart beats now once every minute. There was a moment he thought Deaton fooled him and let him there to witness Stile’s passing, but after checking on a couple of times noticed this rareness.

Many questions come to his mind over and over. How could they do such things? How they could be that strong? Who are they for real? What are they?

It doesn’t matter though. He is not interested on Binders’ matter or how strong they can get to be, all he wants is not owe him nothing. He has enough debts to pay in his life and Stiles has already saved him before.

Why not? Why not before? Or after? It didn’t matter when, they could have choose any other timing to sort out their eerie fates’ duties.

He knows he doesn’t deserves to die, even when he countless times told him to stay away from their business, but Allison neither. She was just a victim of the monster that Derek was deep inside. It has always been his fault, every awful thing that has happened so far has been the punishment for the curse that lay on him.

If he had to choose…Between their two. Even when he despised them both for many reasons, they were innocent people. How could he take such responsibility to choose which one of them should live and which die?

Did Deaton gave options to them both? He never mentioned talking to Allison. Did he force Stiles to choose by his own? Why? Why not both of them? He was so brave to decide between his own life or Allison’s. He had to make a decision between the two of them, and yet…He picked neither and instead choose him.

He hates him. He really does. He feels hopeless waiting for the swirling of the inside storm to get to an end, and still it continues without losing any of its strength.

He has been walking around, back and forth and it’s losing his patience. He is not sure if Deaton left a minute or an hour ago. He has seen all the book’s names in the shelf. Has stared at all the weird specimens that the man got into those jars. Fumbled his drawers and found plants he have ever seen. Inscriptions from unknown languages and ingredients from all kind. All what remains to see now…Is

He turns slowly and bores his eyes in the…Body.

The wind dies and the basement’s door storms open.

Deaton climbs down the steps slowly and stops right before Stiles.

“What did you see?” Derek asks at once.

“Many things and nothing at all” Deaton replies sternly.

“I’m getting tired of your games”

“As I said, this future shouldn’t exist. If he dies now, Allison and you can still stop them before it is too late”

“I don’t think she will cooperate with me”

“If Stiles dies, she will” Deaton affirms. “Many will die. Scott’s throat will be slit by Erica when she try to break your legs to drag you to the Fenrir’s liar”

“He can’t die, I promised him…”

“That’s none of my business. If they should have played their part as they had to, none of this would happen. Isaac will betray you again. Jackson will die tomorrow. Everything will end in two days”

“What if he lives?” Derek frowns knowing that the first possibility is not an option since it implies for him to break his promise.

“There are at least one hundred different futures”

“Which one is the most possible to happen?”

“Any of them. At this point, things have messed up badly. In ten of this futures Stiles dies in the hands of the Fenrir and you lose the war, so why risk everything for him when he choose to die to save us all?”

“He shouldn’t have choose. It should have been both of them taking the decision, not just him. You played false. You betrayed that boy! You knew he would be so stupid and selfless to give up his own life to save hers”

“That’s not true I did it because of….”

It didn’t matter what he said, Derek knew the reason. He did it to protect his good friend Chris’ daughter.

“Is there a future where he lives?”

“There are some in which he lives, but I can’t see them clear, there are many decisions in those ones that need to be taken, all I can see is blood. Many of it”

“Anyone important?”

“All lives matter Derek, you should have learned that already”

“I just don’t want to owe anything to anyone else when I’m gone”

“Are you really risking to play with the odds? If he lives, any of those possible futures can come true, not just the one you fools hope for. There are five on which Stiles dies on Scott’s hands”

“No, he wouldn’t…”

“He would”

“There are other two where Scott kills you in two days”

“One on which Allison kill you all and then commits suicide”

“And there are two where you rip Stile’s throat with your own teeth”

Derek pictures each one of them in his mind and gasps. His heartbeat quickens.

“There are many things that can go wrong Derek, and yet…You still want to play with the odds”

“That’s what he would have chosen”

“He chose to die”

“Just because you influenced him to save your friend’s daughter”

“That’s not true” Deaton’s face reddens. “Now go! I must make my choice”

“You ran out of time, I can hardly feel his heartbeat”

“GO!” Deaton bellows.

Derek fights his binding but he is not strong enough his legs keep moving straight until he reaches the stairs and starts climbing them up. He tries to kick but his feet won’t respond. All he can move is his head, so when he is half-way up, he jerks it to the side and crashes it against the wall. Maybe he does have control of his body but Deaton can’t control him if he’s out of balance.

He falls on his back on the stair and hurries to hold the wooden steps and tangle his legs around the staircase’s bars.

“You should have listened to me from the moment I told you the truth Stiles” Deaton says with anger. “But you kept quoting your stupid’s super hero’s lines. Saying that you would change everything that would save them all and no one would die and now look at it. You failed tremendously”

Deaton’s voice cracks.

“I told you you weren’t a hero, but you didn’t listen! Why? How? Do you want to know about one of the first things the voices showed me? It was your parent’s wedding. How happy they looked, how beautiful she would be and how glad I would have to pretend to be while I died inside”

He makes a pause where he lets out the shadow of a laugh.

“It was ten years before it actually happened. I thought…Many thing can happen. I can…I can do it, the future is not written on stone. If I have this rare skill, it is for some reason, I can change it. I can make her love me. We can be happy together. And I tried and tried for years to make her love me, and she did, she did love me with all her heart, but just as a Friend. I knew then that things couldn’t be change and even more when I saw you coming. You were a strong possibility, something that I couldn’t undo, I saw how happy your parents would be when you were born and the person you would become, and I…Understood that you can change the yet to come but accept it”

From his place Derek can listen to Deaton’s heart beating harder with every word.

“And then you came back, and you’re not the same. You push your stubbornness right in front of my face, and keep telling me that you will save them all even when I know you can’t because you must die, but you kept trying, you truly believed that you could change things. You didn’t say it, but I know you thought you could reverse your curse, that you could defeat death and you fucked everything Stiles, you both! Before you came back there was only one line to follow. The only decision to take was which one of you would live and we both knew who you would choose. But then you change the paths”

Derek stretches his ear. What that’s supposes to mean.

“You kids stared playing with the odds, you bend the time at your will and made impossible things happen. I first thought It read wrong when Lydia’s wound was in a different place, but that small change blew everything, nothing seemed clear now and many things could change and tonight is the prove of it. She dared to defy the odds again to save you and she did it”

Derek notices he regained the full control of his body, now slowly he stands up preparing to lurch on Deaton if he tries to…

“I’m really sorry Stiles” He mumbles with a hoarsely voice. “But you kids made me a fool, you made believe again and even when the odds are against you, and I can’t see how this will end, I can’t let you die. I’m so sorry but I can’t”

Derek holds his breath astonished and misses a step following all the way back down until he lands at Deaton’s steps.

“I will need your breath” Deaton mutters without looking at him.

_He is crying._

“Why?” Derek says confused.

“Alpha’s breath contains part its essence, when you breath it in it quickens your heartbeat. It will work as a defibrillator”

“How do I do it?”

“Take the cup from the drawers, breath out in it and give it to me”

Derek went to the drawers and fetches a blue cup of wood he saw minutes ago while he waited and did as Deaton bid him. Amazed he saw how his breath became fog before his eyes and slowly swirled in until it gets trapped inside.

“Give it to me”

Derek addresses him and offers it. Deaton takes quickly and puts it in below Stile’s nostrils. Derek stares how it takes the boy’s chest to go up and down in almost thirty seconds, until he finishes and jolts.

Stiles sits shaking uncontrollably.

“Hold him” Deaton urges him.

Derek hurries to take Stiles by the side forcing him to stay down and making sure to not touch his wound. It is something hard to watch. His eyes are all white, his body is slippery with sweat and his skin has grown so pale that even Derek’s hands look several shades darker on him. 

Deaton prepares a syringe and digs it on Stile’s arm as he fights for his freedom and Derek thinks how easy it could be for Stiles to kill him with only one of his hands. He is so strong, he could do it. All that time he had been thousands of times stronger than all of them and not even Stiles himself knew it.

“Deaton…” Derek starts pressing his lips in a thin line.

“What?” Says Deaton absently as he hurries to go to his drawers to fetch ingredients to mix them all in a clay pot.

“If the flower is death…”

“He has a dangerous amount of many types of aconitum in his body. You needed the orchid because you are werewolf. He is human so…”

“Isn’t it poisonous for him?”

“Of course it is, until now”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll alter his metabolism, from now on his body will think monkshood is food, I can’t get rid of it, it got too deep inside”

“We won’t be able to eat normal food ever again?”

Deaton shakes his head.

“He can eat anything he want, as long as he has a part of aconitum with each meal. It will help to keep his new balance”

“For how long he will be like this?”

“Until the day he dies. So…If a werewolf bits him he will die instantly, he needs to be careful”

Derek rolls his eyes. “Are you kidding? There are two thousand wolves in town and they have already pointed out that they are interested in him to…”

An idea flashes his mind.

“I want you to do something for him”

Deaton snorts. “More than saving his life?”

 _Is good to know you recovered your mood._ Derek thinks bitterly and nods. “I want you erase his memory”

Deaton stops short a second “No” He says dryly and then gets a scalpel and opens Stiles’ chest from neck to pelvis. Derek looks away disgusted.

“Spit here” Deaton handles him the clay pot and Derek does as he bids.

“Why not?” He demands when he gives him the cup back. “There is no reason why he has to put his life on risk, this is not his fight”

“It is” Deaton affirms. “It is from the moment you bit his best friend”

“That’s why he has to forget all this, do it and then I’ll find the way to send him far”

“I can’t do it Derek, I’m sorry” Deaton affirms as Derek with the corner of his eye spies how Deaton pours a purplish liquid over Stiles chest.

“Why not?”

“Because he is your only chance to win. I’m saving his life so he can save millions”

“But…”

“Look, either way I can’t do it. His will has grown so much in matter of months, he is not the same boy who got here grieving his mother’s death almost a year ago. I couldn’t alter his memories even if I want to. He is stronger than me”

Derek chokes and turns with his eyes wide open to see Deaton’s stare. He is not lying.

Deaton is sewing Stile’s wound already.

“How…Why…?”

“By laws of nature the only way for me to alter his memory is with his consent”

“Then you could….”

“He won’t give it to me Derek, and even if he did I would need Allison’s too”

“Allison’s?”

“They both share a strong bond. There is too much of each in the other. If I erase Stile’s memory alone, Allison’s thoughts, memories and essence itself might take over him. You saw it yourself tonight. He was going crazy, her desire for killing was too big, he fought it, but it almost won him over. That’s what would happen to him, but permanently. Stiles would vanish and then you would have two Allison’s or two Stiles if it was on the other way around”

“How is that possible?”

“Just think about it. At this point everyone knows that they share more than their birthday. If you have a train and one is full with some many passengers that people can’t even walk and then you open a new wagon. Some might stay faithful to the one that took them home all those years, but others would find it more comfortable to have their own space. It will be one mind in two bodies”

_Two Stiles? That would be a nightmare._

“I’m done” Says Deaton wiping the sweat from his forehead as he takes a brush and paints Stile’s wounds with Derek’s saliva to heal his wounds. “I’m going bed now, I need to sleep and meditate what I just done. Clean this mess and take care of him” He finishes as he takes his blood stain shirt out and starts climbing the stairs.

_They both share a strong bond._

“Deaton” He says at the man’s back and he stops half-way up. “What are they?”

Deaton stays standing still in the steps for two minutes and then he replies.

“I don’t know”

…….

“Did you listen to me?” He asks.

Scott is frozen. He can’t tell way but this boy scares him. He is standing there naked relaying to a tree with pair glowing green eyes staring at him.

“Are you deaf?” He continues.

Scott swallows and balls his hands to hide his shaking. “Who are you he demands?”

“My name is Damian” He says calmly. “And you must be Scott isn’t it?”

 _Damian._ Scott thinks with fear. Why...He doesn’t remember from where, but he has the feeling he heard his name before.

He nods.

“And that girl was Chris Argent’s spawn. Wasn’t she?”

“You are a werewolf” Scott says feeling how his heartbeat increases and his claws stretch.

Damian snorts. “I’m not a werewolf. I’m a Fenrir”

 _The Fenrir._ It is him! If can…If he can kill him now…Everything would…

“You haven’t answer my question. Her last name is Argent?” He says sternly as he comes from behind the tree walking quietly as he is bathed by the moonlight as his pale skin shines.

“What if she is?” Scott dares him.

He snorts again. “Then I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’re a very dumb boy”

Scott snarls.

“Hey, don’t look at me that way. It wasn’t me who messed up with her. You should have known better. Did Derek showed you how use your nose? You should have known she was trouble from the first time you smelled her”

Scott spots her in his mind. All covered in blood. He murdered her. He saw, but yet…

“It is amazing how this girl keeps beating death over and over again” He says causally.

“What do you mean?” Scott demands.

Damian smiles.

“When she was about to come to his world, there was a lot of talk. The daughter of Longshot and Victoria Argent. Everyone knew she would be one of the strongest Binders in the world”

Wow! He didn’t…Know that.

“That is why the world wept bitter tears when they heard she died along with her mother twelve years ago, but it seems that she didn’t die after all”

_She didn’t, but she should have._

“Her dad fooled everyone. No doubt he was trying to protect her from that monster that killed his mother, which is weird considering that there are stories that tell that it was Chris himself go hid Derek for many years”

_So it is true. It was Derek after all._

“I couldn’t believe she was alive until I saw her tonight and she is everything people said she would. She gave me creeps as I saw her murder your friend at cold blood”

No! She didn’t mean to…It was Derek who…

“Though I’m not surprised the boy died. They both stank to death, it would dangerous to be near any of them. You have been really stupid for being close to them. They almost killed you tonight”

“What do you want?” Scott says dreadful of the answer he might get.

Damian bits his lip and arches a brow. “I want to know why Erica didn’t tell me who this girl was. It would have saved time”  

Scott snorts. “Erica is a traitor. Do you really think she is on your side? She has only was side. Hers. Sooner or later she will find a new side. One more convenient than yours” Scott spits despitefully.

“You might be right. Maybe I’m surrounded by thousands of liars. But they all have something in common. All of them want to live and they know they need me if they want to”

Scott blinks trying to understand his words.

“A storm is coming Scott and you just accelerated things more when you choose to let her live. Now she will run after her masters in the STCU and tell them you tried to kill her. Thousands will come and millions will die from all sides. If you ever thought about saving everyone you should have killed her”

Scott shakes his head. “No…She would never…”

“Really?” Damian chortles. “She is a Binder. That’s what they do. They fool you, they make you believe they love you and that you can trust them and then…Lose everything”

“You’re wrong. She is different. She wouldn’t…”

“Hurt anyone? Didn’t she just killed that other Binder for protecting Derek? Her fight was against Derek, not him. She created a storm so big she would have shamed the Greek gods. She could have stopped that arrow if she wanted to”

“She said she doesn’t remember do…”

“That is a lie. They all are liars Scott. It is in their nature. I used to be like you”

He walks around thoughtfully and then stops and stares at the mom. “My father was a good man you know? He was so preoccupied for me. I don’t have much memories from my childhood now. It has been twenty years since he died and yet I still can remember some things”

“Twenty? You look…”

“Younger?” Damian snorts.

“You will be forty and will still look like a teenager Scott”

Scott gaps.

“Never mind. My father took care of me my whole life. I know we used to have a house before, because I remember wooden windows, a big yard and thousands of toys, but I got worse every day until one day, after almost living in the facilities for so long he thought he would be better to stay until I got better”

“What happened with you?”

“I had a very rare disease. Later I learned I turned into a monster under a lot of stress and on full moon nights. They made so many tests on me, but they couldn’t find anything to help me. My dad kept telling me to do everything the doctors asked me, it was for my own good. To save me and get back home and play as he used to”

“Is there a way to reverse?” Asks Scott hopeful.

“No. and he wasn’t my dad” Damian replies bitterly.

“I was sixteen when I found out the truth. I knew something was wrong and I started doing my own researches. He was the man who murdered my family and took me captive to make experiments on me and develop new potions for binders”

Scott gaps. “I’m really sorry”

“Yeah. I sucks when the person you trust most betrays you, but I got over it when I killed him that afternoon”

Scott’s blood runs cold. He just killed him the same day, that easily.

“You should have done the same”

Scott stares at his hands. They were red with Allison’s blood. He saw it but…There is no trace of them in there.

“You didn’t touch her” Damian affirms.

“I thought…”

“You beyond that’s all” Damian sights and approaches him to put a hand on his shoulder.

Scott shivers for a second, but then he feels a bit more comfortable.

“You are a very special wolf Scott. You have especial powers. You’re one in a million”

“Did I see the future?” He says confused.

Damian shakes his head. “You smelt her intentions”

“What do you mean? I didn’t smell anything I saw it with…”

“Your mind thinks it saw it, but what really happened is that you smelled her thoughts”

_Her thoughts?_

“She thought how you would murder her and this confused you. You still need to learn how to control it”

And then Scott recalls. Days ago…When they fought Erica and the others outside the woods.

“I don’t have such skill, but I know how it works. I can train you, you can be prepared for when she comes with her army”

Will…Will she?

Scott shakes his head frantically and steps back. “No! I wouldn’t ever…Stay away from me or I’ll kill you!”

“You sound very determinate for someone who never killed anyone before” Damian snorts.

“I can do it” Scott warns him.

“I bet you do. I’ll see you later” Damian grins and vanishes.

…….

She has been running for the past ten months. From her past life, from her father’s secrets, from the painful truths, from Scott, and now…From herself.

What she did…Has no name.

Revenge turned into a monster. All she wanted was Derek to die, and now…She can’t explain how…Stile’s blood is in her hands.

She can’t stop running. Wherever her feet want to take her, she knows she is not welcome.

Scott’s home, Stiles’, what remains of her parents’ house. All of them a closed doors now.

She doesn’t know why she didn’t went with him straight after what happened. And now she is cursing herself for being so stupid after she have knocked Lydia’s door already.

It takes almost ten minutes for her friend to open the door. It is late night, so when Lydia opens her eyes pop open as she takes a look at Allison.

“Allison! What…What happened to you?” She says startled hurrying to hug her.

She shouldn’t hug her. Allison doesn’t need or deserve hugs. It is Scott who needs a hug, it is Stiles’ father who…

_Oh my god! Stiles’ dad! He…He…This can’t be happening to him, not after his wife passed._

She starts sobbing right in the doorway of the shadowy house.

“Allison…Are you crying? What happened? Please talk to me!” Lydia demands with concern as her voice starts cracking.

She pulls Allison inside.

“I don’t know why, all the lights went off a couple of hours ago. I can’t clean your head now but while we wait we can…”

Before she has a chance to finish her sentence the room is lit at once and Allison looks around startled. She is Lydia’s beautiful living room. While the rest of the houses in the surroundings remain slumbered in darkness.

_It was me. I did this again._

She covers her head with her hands and she kneels shrieking.

“Allison!” Lydia grabs her friend with shaking hands. “What is going on with you? Please! You’re scaring me!”

Now her fiend’s breathing hitches. “Come one! I’ll cleaning and you’ll tell what happened ok?”

Allison doesn’t nod, but she neither fights back while Lydia pulls of her arm to take her to her room.

While they get in Allison gets a glimpse of herself in Lydia dresser’s mirror.

There is a large gash in her forehead with dried blood around and her skin is turning purplish now. Her knees have blood too. Her clothes are dirty, her thighs and cheeks scrapped by the low branches of the woods. There are dozens of leaves in her hair and now she notices the bow she has been clutching all this time.

Her heart skips a beat as soon as she stops it and lets it fall in the ground.

The temperature in the air is dropping again this time faster than before.

Lydia makes Allison take a seat while she goes to the bathroom and comes back with a bowl of fresh water, a cloth and ointments.

“Are you going to tell me what happened to you?” Her friend asks with a bit more steady voice, though Allison can notices how shaky her hands are.

“I killed him” Allison says it aloud, and that’s it. As soon as the words came out of her mouth she made it truth.

He is gone and it is all because of her.

Lydia stops short and looks at her straight in the eye. “Who?”

“S…Stiles” Allison mutters and now her tears blind her.

“What are you talking about? Why would you kill Stiles? He can’t be dead! How did…Did you really do it? Why? Why would do that Allison?” Lydia panics as she falls on her butt.

“I…I don’t know okay?” Covers her face with her hands.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Lydia demands.

“I can’t remember anything. I just…I just know I did it! Some…Something awful is happening to me!”

“Are you taking drugs?” Asks Lydia a bit less frightened.

Allison shakes her head. “No, I was sleeping and the next thing I remember is that I killed him Lydia! I did it! I’m a horrible person!”

She looks up as the world sways before her eyes and notices that Lydia is not crying or freaking out. She is…Looking at her with concern. “Allison, I don’t….I mean…Maybe it was just a nightmare”

“No! It wasn’t…I know we had a fight for Derek but I can’t remember exactly what happened”

“Derek? Derek Hale? What you guys have to do with him?”

“He murdered my mom!” Allison cries. “I went to bed wishing I could kill him and then….” She can’t finish her sentence she can’t breathe either, she is losing it.

 “Allison it has to be a misunderstanding” Lydia affirms even calmer now. “Look, you have come through a lot in the past months. I know you’re concerned about your dad and it makes you feel a lot of stress but…”

“I’m concerned about my dad! He is fine! It is Stiles who died because of me!”

“Maybe you thought that….”

“I can’t feel him Lydia”

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t notice before, but Stiles was always with me. I could feel him inside of me, his feelings, his thoughts, he is gone! A part of me just vanished. I can feel it being tore out of my chest, it is killing me. It is hurting. The spark is gone Lydia and is too much to bear. I felt lonely and scared without him. We have always been together and I didn’t notice until now”

Lydia’s eyes pop open and she steps back. “I…I’m going to call him, okay? And you’ll see that everything is alright”

Lydia takes her phone from her nightstand and dials, the minutes pass in silence and Allison can notice how Lydia’s neck tenses as the time keeps passing by and Stiles doesn’t answer his phone.

“I…It is alright okay? It is late night and of course he is sleeping, so there is nothing you…”

“I killed him! Everyone saw it!” Allison sobs.

“Who’s everyone?” Lydia arches a brow with some hope in her chest.

“Jackson, Scott, Isaac and Derek they saw shoot the arrow”

Lydia presses her lips on a thin line as soon as she hears Jackson’s name, yet she tries to hide it from Allison. She dials again, but he doesn’t pick it up either.

“I think I have Isaac’s number too, let me just….Here is it” She dials again and Allison can see that her face lights up as soon as the boy answers.

“Hey Isaac, I’m really sorry for calling right now…I just…Who’s that? Jackson? Can…Can I talk to him for a minute?”

She waits two seconds and now Allison can see her hesitate.

“Hey. I’m really sorry for calling you, I just want to know if you guys are okay. Allison is here and she is pretty upset, she won’t stop saying that something awful happened to Stiles. Do you know anything about it?”

There is a long pause.

“Really? Can I talk to him? Please, I want Allison hear his voice to calm down…But…Jackson I wouldn’t be asking you this if…No, I…I understand, I’ll tell her. I’m sorry for bothering you”

She hangs up.

Allison looks at her confused.

“He is fine Allison. He told me that they have been partying at Jackson’s all night and Stiles drank too much and now is puking in his bathroom. That won’t kill him” She giggles.

 _They lied to her._ She shakes her head. “He lied to you! I’m telling you I killed Stiles and Scott almost…”

She has been avoiding thinking about Scott all this time, but now…Now she knows. He hates her, the boy who once would say that loves her deeply now wanted her dead.

“Look Allison, I’m really concerned about you. Maybe we could talk to someone in the morning. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to live with your uncle this fast and…”

 _Uncle._ She repeats in her mind.

“Can…Can I have a glass of water?” Allison asks with pleading eyes.

Lydia nods. “I’ll be right back in a minute”

_She doesn’t believe me._

As soon as Lydia is gone, Allison tugs out her phone and dials Uncle Jeremy’s phone.

He picks up at once.

“Allison? Why are you…?”

“I need you. I didn’t something awful”

“What are you talking about?”

“I killed my best friend” She sucks a breath.

“What? Why? Are you….?”

“I don’t know what happened, I just know it has something to do with Derek. This is out of control Uncle Jeremy, we need help. I need help. I can feel that something is wrong with me. Maybe other Binders can help you, you will need help to stop the Fenrir. I can’t do this anymore”

“Allison…” He tries to say but she cuts the call.

 _He is not going to call them._ She realizes.

“Here” Says Lydia suddenly as she shows up right before Allison with a glass of water and a pill.

 _She wants me to sleep._ It would be better to follow Lydia’s game. Allison made the mistake of coming here tonight. Lydia’s memories are gone, that is why she wouldn’t believe a word about fights and arrows or werewolves.

Something horrible is about to happen, she can feel it. How many more of her friends will die in the next days? What will happen to Lydia? Scott…Scott wants her dead.

If she could only come back to his house and retrieve the piece of paper with the phones numbers and…They are here.

Allison’s heart lurches. As soon as she sips the fresh water she feels it in the left pocket of her jacket.

“I…Feel better. I’m really sorry Lydia, I think it was a nightmare. I don’t know. I…I remember I woke up scared and came out of Scott’s home and fell and knocked my head. Maybe it is the concussion I got that made me think that…You know” She lies.

Lydia will find out the truth in the morning, but right now Allison needs her to believe in her so she can help her.

She tugs out the piece of paper.

“Can you help me send a mail?” Allison asks.

“A mail? This late?” Lydia frowns.

“Yeah” Allison affirms. “I think you’re right. Maybe I moved in with my uncle too fast. I want to contact Dr. Fintshood”

“Are you sure?” Lydia says biting her bottom lip.

Allison nods. “I want her to read this as soon as she can. You’re right Lydia, I need help”

“Allison…” Says her friend with concern. “Internet service was shut down from the town several days ago”

Allison shakes her head. “No…I was using internet tonight” She affirms.

“Are you sure?” Lydia frowns.

Allison hesitates as she slowly approaches Lydia’s laptop in the desk. She flips it open and sits. As soon as she touches it, she can feel it. She is bending the rules.

She types her mail in silence, making sure Lydia can’t see the content.

When it is done, she copies the STCU address from her piece of paper and sighs as she reads the last line.

“Come quick please, we need your help or everyone will die”

She clicks the send button and it is gone.

It is her. It’s her who shut the lights, made the storm, and plugged out the internet. She has been trying to keep the town disengaged from the outer world, but…Why?

…….

That ringing. That annoying ringing.

 _Let me sleep._ He thinks with tiredness, but it doesn’t stop.

It keeps blaring, harder and harder until he can’t help it anymore and opens his eyes.

He jolts.

_Dylan._

He panics and looks around.

Dylan is in danger. He needs to find him and save him. What…? What is he doing in Deaton’s basement?

Why…Why is his chest aching so much?

He slowly glances down, and as soon as he see it, a terrible pain runs through his body and make his gasps.

There is a purplish circle around the place where his heart is.

Allison. He is not sure how or why, but Allison’s arrow came through his chest.

He remembers rain. And Derek…He…He wanted to kill Derek. No. It was Allison. She wanted him dead.

 _Did I stopped her?_  He thinks dreadful of the answer he might get and then he finds him.

He is snoring. He is right next to him.

His face is paler than usual. There are hollows beneath his eyes and his stubble seems somehow a bit longer than it uses to. His face is down and his left hand is over Stile’s right wrist.

His guts squirm and he takes it down.

 _He is alive._ He thinks with relief as he stands shivering and gasping. He can hardly breathe, every time he hauls air in his lungs he almost stops short and tears climbs to his eyes. It is so painful, he wants to lay down until it all fades, though…

_Dylan._

He is in danger. Those wolves came to his house and the boy is hiding in his room scared.

He kneels with all his strength, bits his tongue to hold the pain back and puts on his shoes.

Someone tore his shirt to pieces so he is freezing, but he has no time.

He must find him.

_Dylan._

He runs, breathing in and out every thirty seconds. His head is spinning, his legs are flailing and his lungs are burning. He can feel how his mind gets cloudier with every step he takes. It is just a matter of minutes before he just…

“Stiles!” His voice makes his heart shudder.  

 _Stiles._ How weird is name sounds.

He can’t stop. Dylan! He has to save Dylan.

“Stiles” Derek shouts harder at his back but Stiles keeps running in the darkness, he is almost there.

“Stiles”

_Dylan._

The first thing he notices is that the front door is wide open.

_No_

He stumbles toward it and gets inside. “Dylan!” He calls out loudly.

“Dylan!”

Nothing.

Desperation takes over him. They couldn’t…

_Please don’t_

He climbs the stairs and gets into his room. His dad isn’t home either. Why he haven’t got here yet? Where is he?

“Dylan!”

He opens his room’s door and holds his breath to kneel before his bed as the current of pain almost makes fade out.

There is nothing below his bed.

He is gone.

  1. “Dylan!”



He stands again and his stomach plunges down when he finds the shadow standing by the window. All black except for a pair of ice burning blue eyes that pierce him as hard as a knife. Like the night he almost choked him to death months ago.

“Why?” Derek asks sternly as he steps ahead.

“Der…”

“What are you?”

“Derek why…?”

“ANSWER ME”

Stiles pulse quickens and he feels nauseas.

“What are you?”

“I’m Stiles, don’t you see?”

“You are more than that and you know it”

“What are you talking about? I need help, werewolves came in I think they hurt…”

“They didn’t hurt anyone”

“What do you know? You weren’t there…Dylan I think…”

Derek steps ahead with his menacing eyes fixed in him.

This is not good. There is something scary about his stare. Stiles needs to get out of here and find Dylan.

“I was here” Derek affirms. “I saw how you humiliated them”

What is he talking about? “Why are you…I was alone, they attacked me I don’t know what happened. You were going to die!”

“Don’t you remember? Are you serious?” Grunts Derek furiously as he steps ahead. “What are you?”

“I’m Stiles”

“No, you are something else”

“What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like crazy?”

“I’m acting like crazy? What the hell were you thinking when you caught a lightning with your hands?”

A lighting? Hands?

Derek shifts and in a blink Derek is right before him.

He gasps and steps back losing his balance, but Derek’s slender and long fingers catch him by the wrist.

“You caught it with this hand, as if it was a ball”

“No…How could I…?”

“Don’t lie to me! We all saw you! It was something we ever saw before. You both were fighting as if you were demons”

“Both? Allison…DEREK! Allison wants to kill you!” He recalls.

“She…Was going to kill you, I can’t remember well, but she…”

“You received the arrow, don’t you remember that part?”

The arrow…He recalls perfectly.

“Why you did it?”

“I…Don’t know, I just panicked”

“Don’t play the fool with me Stiles. Deaton told me about one dying in the hands of the other”

Dr. D said so? Why?

“What else you know?” Asks Stiles dreadful. “Why am I alive?”

“Why are you alive? Are you FUCKING serious? Do you give a shit about you at all?”

“It had to happen. Deaton told me”

“I don’t care what he told you! It was me who should have received that arrow!”

“I just…”

“I just what Stiles?”

“I just panicked okay? I thought…I thought if I died…Everyone would be…”

“Everyone would be better?” Derek looks at him as if he was crazy. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you really think that girl would feel better after knowing she murdered you?”

“You don’t understand! I’m cursed, if I don’t…” Stiles tries to explain but Derek ignores him.

“Do you really think Scott’s life would be better with you gone? He would probably find the way to kill himself!”

“No, he has his mom and…”

“And you have your dad!” Derek points out sharply.

Stiles stops short and tears climbs to his eyes. His heart starts throbbing and his mouth gets dry.

“What the hell were you thinking Stiles? After all your dad and you went through, are you seriously selfish enough to cause such much pain to him?”

“What else could I do?”

“Didn’t you think how hurt everyone would be if you died? I was so angry! I wanted to kill you as soon as I saw what you did! How could do this to me? Why you didn’t think in Scott, and your dad. Why you didn’t think about me!?”

Stiles’ heart lurches and he tries to break free from Derek’s grip but he tightens it. When he looks up, he finds Derek’s eyes burning.

“I just…I just didn’t want you to die” Stiles whimpers.

“And you thought that if you died I would be better? I thought…I…” Derek’s breathing comes out of control and Stiles holds his breath. “I hate you”

Stiles looks away but Derek takes him by the chin and Stiles notices the grimace in the wolf’s face. “I can’t lose you Stiles”

Stiles’ heart skips a beat and he tries to avoid his glance. Derek’s nose makes his to the side and Stiles closes his eyes.

“Derek please, don’t say that” Stiles says softly as Derek’s breath fills his nostrils.

 They are so close to each other.  

“I don’t know what do to. I don’t know what else do to Stiles. I try hard to keep you away, but you always find your way back to me. Your scent…I can’t…I can’t live without it”

“Derek please don’t do this to me”

“It is too late” Derek affirms in a mutter. “I’ve been holding back myself for too long now”

“Derek I…” Stiles tries to reply but Derek takes him in his arms and presses his lips against his.

Stiles holds his breath and feels an electric shock running through his body as butterflies fight to break free. His heart comes to a halt for half a minute and his breathing hitches. Sparks, he can feel new sparks flying in his chest.

Derek pants and Stiles steps back staring openmouthed at the painful grimace Derek wears.

“I’m hurting you” Stiles realizes. “Why?” He rises a hand and touches Derek cheek softly and notices how his skin tenses.

“It is the monkshood in you, is part of you from now on”

 _What? No!_ “I…I can’t touch you anymore?”

He can notices the pain now in Derek’s soul.

“You can do it whenever you want. I can take the pain” He affirms throwing himself again on Stiles kissing him softly as tears run down his eyes and Stiles clutches himself to his chest to later break off.

“I can kill you if we keep doing this”

“I don’t care” Stiles listens to Derek affirm before melting their selves again and he finally passes out on Derek’s arms.

“I almost died with you tonight, anyway”

 


	25. UPRISING

#  **UPRISING**

 

 

“I don’t know...This…” She chews her bottom lip.

“Is our best choice Mel,” Simon whispers, which is a bit silly considering they are hiding inside his office’s bathroom. However, it is better to take precaution, both can go to jail if anyone overhears.

“I can’t leave you go on yourself” She balls her hands and stares at him straight in the eye.

Simon lets out a half-grin half-grimace. It is hard to look at her in this state of desperation. He is feeling it too, he knows he would protest too if the case were the opposite. He almost forget how her nose creases when she is angry.

“I’ll be back in a minute”

“And what are you going to do? Do you really think she is going to tell you anything?” She says angrily.

That is a good question. Even when Simon is almost sure that Julie will cooperate, he has to believe she will. He can imagine other way to ease their concerns. “I’ll tell her that as a doctor, I have the right to manifest the concern about this virus and would like her to share her findings”

Melissa snorts. “Are you kidding? That’s your excuse?” She rolls her eyes.

Simon glares at her. “Yeah? You got a better idea?”

Melissa nods. “I’ll tell her I have strict orders from the sheriff to get as much information as possible about this virus she is researching to plan the best strategy to prevent a biological emergency”

When she finishes Simon tries to keep himself together but maybe he is just too uneasy with this whole situation, but he giggles and now is Mellissa who glares at him.

“What so funny?” She demands in a chuckle.

“It seems like you planned it hours ago” He chuckles.

Mellissa holds her breath and looks away blushing. “I just…”

Simon takes her by the chin to make her look at him straight in the eye. “Mel, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you’re just a cop. You saw how she treated us the other day. I am sure she is above the sheriff and everyone in the town, I don’t think she won’t give any kind of information if it is demanded”

Mellissa sighs hurt. “What if they hurt you? Seriously Simon….There…”

There it is again. Something in her eyes, a brief flicker of fear, but also…Almost knowledge, as if she knows something, but if she…Why she doesn’t share it? He must be mistaken. “Sorry. What did you say?”

Mellissa chugs. “That there is a lot we don’t know about this people, what if they aren’t who they say they are?”

“Who else are they going to be?” Simon asks a bit amused. “Terrorist? Do you still believe Julie provoked this?”

Mellissa shakes her head. “I’m…I’m not saying that she released the virus or anything, I’m just….Can‘t shake off my head that maybe there is not a virus at all”

“Then how…” He starts but she cuts him off.

“How am I going to know? But even, if there is a virus you can get infected when you get into that room!”

Simon knows this. He is scared, anything can happen. Considering that a scientist needs bodywards in every hallway of the hospital just to check blood samples from people long dead.

“I know Mel, but what are you going to do? Shoot to the virus? You need to understand one of us must stay here in case the other doesn’t come back, and that one is you. I need someone to take care of Stiles if anything happens to me”

He knows she feels powerless. She is a cop after all, and she never liked to be left behind, but she needs to understand that he has to keep her safe.

Melissa swallows and chugs. “Promise me you will be careful,” She says softly with sad eyes as she approaches him and presses her forehead against his chest.

Simon nods. “I promise”

“You could go to jail for this”

“I know, Mel”

“If anything happens, call me. I’ll try to be as close the door as possible”

“Alright. Let’s go” Simon swallows and his heartbeat quickens. He is not sure why, but something isn’t right here, and he must find out the truth before it is too late.

…….

“So…Is this going to hurt me?” She asks looking at the Nagnitia mushrooms with more curiosity than fear.

Chris shakes his head. “It is harmless, just put it in your clothes and it will suck your scent away”

“That’s amazing,” She says puzzled as she keeps starting at it marveled while her nose reaches closer trying to find any kind of odor in it.

“It is one of the first things I learned in the academy,” He says as if it wasn’t a big deal.

She rises a brow and grins. “I heard you weren’t that good at school,” She points out.

“Who told you that?” He says impressed.

“Damian really has a thing for you,” She explains.

“It is half true. I used to cheat in class when I could, but…On the field. There was no one who could beat me”

“Wow. It’s true!” She replies looking at him shocked.

He arches a brow as he puts the last knife in his pocket. “What thing?”

“That you got an epic ego” She cracks in laughs.

Chris rolls his eyes. “You know? I think I liked it better when I thought you wanted to kill me”

“Take it easy. I’m… Just….I talk too much when I’m nervous”

Chris looks up amused and she blushes and looks away. “There is nothing to be afraid of. I can do this”

“I…Wasn’t talking about it” She bits her lip and points to the pool at Chris’ back.

“Oh” He lets out realizing her concerns. “There is nothing to worry about. We are not that far of the shore”

She sighs. “I guess, but…It is deep, you know we can’t swim”

“I’ll make sure you won’t drown”

“I’ll be extremely heavy once we’re down there”

“I’m strong. I got you here once. Didn’t I?”

“I was unconscious”

“I could smack you again if you want” He offers with a grin.

She punches him in the arm as she snorts.

“You could stay here, until I’m back if you want,” He offers more serious this time.

She shakes her head. “I don’t think so. I’m not fond to extremely short caves and less when there is no way out”

“Then just trust me. I’ll make sure you get out safely,” He affirms as he makes her signs to follow him into the water.

She gaps and her bottom lip wobbles, but she does as he bids.

“Ready?” He says sitting in the edge of the rock to dive in.

She nods with a frightened look.

Chris chuckles in his insides and throws himself in, but she catches him before his face gets into the water. “Wait”

He blinks. “What? Do you…”

“Thanks” She blurs out embarrassed.

He snorts. “It is not a big deal. Really, I can take…”

“I don’t mean just this, but for helping us” She mutters and without warning throws herself inside, proving that she blindly trusts in him.

Taken aback Chris hurries to dive after her. Now he realizes that there is people that have faith in him, and he can’t let them down. Specially his daughter.

Even when it was a short track, it felt as if Chris swum leagues, taking Alice to safety. When he breaks out of the water to get to the other side of the cave, he hauls as much air in his lungs as possible. For a minute, he thought they wouldn’t make it.

Alice coughs when she gets into the cold hard stone and starts giggling frantically, as if she can’t believe she is Alive.

Chris lets himself lay down for a minute while he catches his breath and stares how she quickly hurries to squish her hair with her hands to dry it. Some drops fall on his forehead and he realizes that they are hot. He is impressed by how quickly they can warm up.

She takes off her jacket, and even when she is not naked below he looks away embarrassed.

She throws it at his face. “Take it. It will warm you up a bit”

Chris shivers and sits. “Thanks, but I don’t need it”

“Of course you do. It is bitter cold here”

“I’ll warm up while I run out of the woods”

She rolls her eyes. “Do you ever let anyone do something nice for you?”

He frowns. “Victoria used to…”

“Someone who hasn’t been dead in the past twelve years”

He snorts and then shakes his head.

“You need to chill a bit. You are as wary as a wolf”

“It have kept me alive all this years” He points out with a grin.

She squints at him lading her head to the side as if trying to understand his words and then she speaks again. “Yeah, it kept you alive. But also cold too”

Chris blinks, feels an odd uneasiness in the pit of his stomach and kneels. “It’s time to move”

They start crawling out of the cave as the small dot of moonlight stretches more and more until it baths them.

Once outside Chris breaths in the cold air and now can feel the jacket over his shoulders colder than when Alice gave it to him, but also completely dry. _She is like living fire._ He finds himself thinking.

He looks around to make sure they are alone but the blow comes too fast.

“Chris!” He hear her cry from behind as she comes out of the cave.

Chris falls on his back holding his jaw as he looks up. There is a werewolf standing before them. He has orange hair and sharp green eyes.

“Who thought it would be so easy to find you?” He says with a mocking grin. He turns left and finds Alice getting out of the cave.

“Alice! You found him. Are you okay?” The wolf says looking at her concerned.

Chris steps back. Who is that wolf? He hadn’t see him in the past days. Could it be he was hiding? It was all a trap from Alice! Can it be? But, it doesn’t make sense.

“Yeah! I just caught him,” She says cracking in laughs.

Chris curses in his insides as his heartbeat chokes him. He should have known…

“How did you get here?” She asks confused.

“Someone lifted the line. The others went straight to Damian to tell him that Argent escaped and that the winding killed half of the party. I came here to get the bodies when I saw him getting out of the cave”

“How lucky, I’ve been looking for him for days” She laughs.

“I’ll call Damian,” He says casually while he tugs out a cellphone from his jogging pants, as if the idea of delivering Chris isn’t a big deal for him.

Chris looks at him, maybe if he manages to take one of his knives at time he will be able to slash their throats before it is too late.

He slowly moves his hand and the werewolf steps on it. “Easy. It will be over soon”

Chris sucks a breath and moves his head to the side feeling the muddy ground on his cheek. He would have rather to die at the hands of the Wendigo.

“Damian! Are you still in the woods? You won’t believe who….”

His blood sprays Chris’ face as the body stumps right next to him. Chris jerks up quickly to stare at Alice’s bloody hands.

“Shit! I didn’t want to kill him but he almost gave you off! You need to get out of here!”

 _What?_   “Wait but…”

“Chris…Haven’t you heard? Damian is here! He may not feel our scents but he will definitely follow the track of his blood. You need to get out of her before it is too late!”

“What about you?” Chris asks with concern.

She bits her lip. “I…I’ll figure out something”

“I can get you back in the cave,” He offers.

She shakes her head. “There is no time. You need to go before it is too late. I’ll hide the body to buy some time and then…”

“If he finds out it was you…”

Her mortified expression gets still. “I know. Now go”

Chris balls his hands with frustration and starts his way out of the woods. Was that…The last he saw of her?

…….

When they hear her steps, they hurry to get out of the bathroom. Simons throws a quick glance at Melissa and both stare at their previously synchronized watches.

“It’s time,” He mumbles and she nods.

Melissa opens the door with her concerned eyes fixed on Simon and parts her lips. “Thank you Simon. It doesn’t matter how much I ask him to take care of his health. You know how teenagers…”

There is a short but loud bump and them a shriek of pain and another of stuntmen.

“I’m so sorry,” Melissa says desperately and that is Simon’s call to get out.

He slides the door open and finds Melissa holding Christine’s arms as a small cloud of steam fumes out before them and the scent of coffee fills the air.

“I’m really; really sorry…I didn’t…” Melissa keeps saying embarrassed, and even when Simon feels a bit guilty, he can’t help smiling in his insides for noticing what a good actress she is.

He looks down and spots Christine staring at her burned hands. It isn’t a big deal. She will be fine in a couple of days, and she knows it because she just shakes her head with tears in her eyes and a painful grimace “It’s alright”

However, Simon must make something bigger out of it, so he tugs out his inner overprotective doctor and addresses her. “You’re not alright. You need first aid at once or…”

“I’m fine Simon” Christine assures. “I’ll find more coffee and then…”

“Let me take care of it” Melissa hurries to say. “Please, it’s the least I can do after what I’ve done”

“But…”

“I’ll see your hands while she takes care of it,” Simon affirms. “I just want to make sure it doesn’t leaves any marks”

“I…Can…Take…Care…Of them, Simon” Christine says holding her breath with each word.

“No, you can’t. I ran out of antiseptic, so let’s go downstairs and take care of them before they get worse. Melissa will take the coffee for you. There is nothing to worry about”

Christine nods and lets Simon takes her by the arm and leads her to the ground floor to do the first aids to her hands. He sits her in an empty consult and starts cleaning up her wounds.

He is a bit stressed. He can’t help feeling concerned about what they are doing. By now, Melissa must have delivered the coffee to Julie’s guards and that’s what concerns Simon. He knows that maybe they are being paranoid about the whole virus issue, but he must admit that Melissa has a point. Why would Julie need bodyguards when she is working with blood samples? There has to be something else in all this, also…She strictly ordered that Christine and only her would take care of her meals and needs. That is the reason she was so concerned ten minutes ago when Melissa offered to do her job. Something isn’t right in all this.

He is being a bit clumsy, after five minutes, banding Christine’s left arm and noticing how much he exceeded his measures she speaks.

“Are you alright?” She asks a bit more relaxed now. 

He nods, and hurries to cut the cloth to continue with the other hand, making sure to last as long as he can so it can give time to the guards to slumber to the sleeping serum.

He wasn’t sure of how much they would need of it, considering how muscular and strong they look. He might have overtopped the dose by many ounces, but they can’t play with their changes now.

Julie hadn’t leave the hospital since she arrived, until an hour ago, and he doesn’t know how much longer she will stay outside. It has to be tonight. They have to discover what really is going on with the deaths and the strange behavior of the victims of this so-called virus.

“Done,” He says to Christine with his eyes fixed in the clock behind her.

He thinks he has made enough time for the serum to drowse the guards. They hadn’t sleep much the last days after all, so it is now or never.

He walks out of the consult feeling his hands shaking harder with every step he takes as he approaches the basement.

Julie settled her research laboratory in abandoned alley of the basement at the right of the morgue.

He never liked coming down here, it brings him too much painful memories, but right now he can’t help it. He passes by some nurses as they walk out of the double doors and he nods at them.

He balls his hands to steady them and lets the cold air sweep him. Because of the storm, the air fills especially chilly tonight, or maybe it is just his mind playing tricks to him, but suddenly he feels the urge to get back on his steps and forget the whole issue, but he can’t do that. He must find out the truth. Right now, he feels a bit mad at Melissa for getting him in all this. She always did that when they were kids he can’t believe she hadn’t change at all after all this years, though at the same time he must admit that he is happy she didn’t.

After turning left, he finds the door in a dark corridor. There is Julie’s office and his heart gives a lurch when he spots the two shapes leaning on each other in the floor. He is still very far, but there aren’t doubts they are asleep, or at least he hopes they aren’t dead.

He hushes his steps and swallows repeatedly to steady his heartbeat. He stealthy passes over the fainted men making sure to not step of them and without hesitating much longer, he opens the door of the room.

This isn’t what he expected to find.

…….

This doesn’t feels right. He should have stayed. He should helped her. She did it for him so many times now that he has literally lost count. He knows she did it because she needs his help, but still…

The old Chris before Victoria, would have let her die because she was a half-wit after all.

The Chris that fell for Victoria, would have stayed and fought to protect that kind and brave she-wolf.

The Chris that lost Victoria, doesn’t hesitates to abandon her. His first instinct is to save his own life and keep his daughter safe, but…He isn’t that Chris anymore, which is scary, because if he isn’t him then who is he becoming now?

He has to keep running. Even if he comes back. There is nothing he can do for Alice, if Damian finds him she will try to protect him and she will die. She got better odds if she isn’t found near Chris, or at least that’s what he wants to believe.

 _Focus Argent._ He says to himself in his mind. He must be brave and fight for his way out of the woods before Damian notices he is gone.

His eyes adjust quickly to the darkness and he has spent so much time in this place, that now that the storm has faded away he can find his way out without any issues. Twigs, logs, holes, he gets to avoid them successfully to finally find the lights of the highway that take to the limits of the city.

 _Damn it_. He thinks. He is too far away from the hospital and he is so tired he doesn’t think he might get there at time, and Melissa’s home isn’t near either. He wants to avoid to her or Allison getting involved in his business.

When he finally leaves the woods behind, stares at the clear sky and frowns. The storm was definitely a binding, a strong one. There is something concerning about it, he can’t help feeling uneasy about Allison. If it was hers, this might mean two things, either she starting to control her will or she has lost control and he isn’t sure which one scares him the most, because both can make her a target.

He starts jogging in the walkways toward the east of the city to get to the hospital when a pair of lights blind him. He listen to breaks screeching in the wet pavement and his pulse quickens.

“Hey! Are you alright?” A concerned woman’s voice says from behind the lights.

Chris hesitates. What he should do?

“Do you need help? Can you hear me?”

Chris nods.

“What happened to you?”

After hearing those words, Chris snaps. He almost forgets that he has been living in the woods and that he must look ratty by now, not to mention the blood on the side on his face, his shredded clothes and the mud on his hair.

“I….”

“You got the virus!” The woman cries aloud as if searching for help.

At this point, he is sure she isn’t one of them, which he thanks because he doesn’t want to walk anymore.

“I felt from my bike down the hill,” He says pointing at his back.

“Oh dear!” She chokes a gasp. “I can take you to the hospital if you want”

Chris nods and slowly approaches the car to don’t scare the woman.

Once inside, he notices that she got many suitcases and appliances inside.

“Did you find a way out through the hill? I heard they blocked them,” The woman says casually as she pulls off.

“Who?” Chris frowns.  

“The government” She says a bit sternly. “They told me there is a shift change in two hours, but I want to be there earlier to make sure I don’t miss my chance”

“The chance to leave?” Chris asks causally.

“Weren’t you trying it too?” She frowns. “I really wanted to stay optimistic, but after I heard about the uprising, I gotta admit that I’m scared, nothing good can come out of it”

 _Uprising?_ He thinks confused, though he keeps the question for himself. He is about to become too suspicious if he keeps asking about things that suddenly might sound obvious for most of the people in the town.

That’s how he slightly induced her to tell him what was going on in the town by the time he has been hiding in the woods without letting her notice that he knew nothing about. But regardless the failure of the communications, electrical service and the town being put in quarantine because of the virus made up by Damian and his lackeys, what really gets Chris shocked, is the uprising the citizens are planning for tomorrow afternoon. The Major is expecting to announce the town when they plan to lift the quarantine, but unofficial sources has already leaked that he is going to say that it might happen in a day or two to buy time, but there isn’t a real date and it might take months.

The town will rise against him. Chris needs to find Allison and tell her to leave before it is too late, he is tempted to ask the woman to drop him near the McCall’s house, but there is no time to lose, they are just a street away from the hospital and he must hurry up and find the experiments and shut them down before they get any further, then he will find his daughter and disappear before the bloodbath starts. He knows he promised to help Alice with her other plan, but if the uprising success, Damian and his wolves will get out of control and sweep the town as soon as they find their scientist is dead.

“Thank you so much” Chris grins at the woman. “I really hope you get out”

She drives off and Chris looks at his back. Alice told him there is a secret door in the parking lot below the hospital from which they have been introducing what remains of the Wendigos without calling attention, so happy for saving some time he runs and climbs down the stairs that take to the basement and the doors of the morgues.

  …….

“What the hell you think you are doing?” He asks sternly and Melissa Jolts and lets out a small shriek.

“I’m really sorry, I…I had to see” She says embarrassed. “I had to make sure you didn’t run into a trap or something like it”

“A trap? What is wrong with you Mel? Do you know something I don’t?”

He can see hesitation in her eyes, but then she shakes her head. “I’m really sorry; I guess I’ve been a bit paranoid. Either way there is nothing to worry about” She swims her arm as if showing the place to Simon, but there is nothing to look at.

The room is empty. Not completely empty though, here is a desk in the far corner with a computer displaying a DNA sequence, but other than that, it is clean.

“I guess we lost our time. We better get out before someone finds out what we did,” He says stirring. He is so mad! He can’t believe he followed her in this madness, he should have known that there wasn’t anything wrong with Julie’s research.

“I’m really sorry Simon” She bits her lip and presses her eyes shut. “It is just that…There is something really strange with all this. This can’t be a common virus”

“I know,” He admits. “But we should be helping this woman, not getting in her way”

She nods. “Let’s go”

Simon turns on his heels grabs the handle of the door and then he stops short.

“What?” She asks.

“This room” He points out as he spins again and takes a closer look at the walls. “It is mostly empty, but…”

“But, what?” She squints following his eyes with hers as if trying to look something invisible.

“It looks…Way shorter than it should”

“What do you mean?” She frowns.

“The morgue is considerably larger than this place and they are supposed to be the same size”

“So…You think” She starts.

Simon runs at the desk and stares at the plain white walls with its spotless paint, which is weird considering how old this room is, and then he feels it.

 A hum.

He presses his ear to the wall and the buzzing increases its strength.

“What is it?” She asks thrilled.

“There is something at the other side”

He presses his ear tighter, the wall slides to the left, too quickly for him to react, and before he notices his head knocks the floor.

“Simon” Mel says concern as she helps him stand and both of them stare at the new room they just discovered.

“What…Is this place?” She asks squinting at the darkness.

Simon’s heart lurches. “It should be the former morgue,” He explains holding his breath to avoid breathing the foul air. What can stink so badly?

Melissa takes the gun on her belt and looks around. “I can’t see anything”

He nods. “I’ll try to find the switch”

He shuffles on the floor sweeping the walls with his hands trying to find a way to illuminate the room, as he keeps hearing even puffs and blows that make him feel uneasy. He is not sure why, but the extreme cold, the eyes-watering stench and unsettling quietness are making him lose his head

“I think I found it,” Mel whispers at the other side of the room, yet loud enough for him to listen and everything lights up.

The struck blinds him, so he has to close his eyes until they can adjust. He blinks twice while everything clouds out bit a bit and then he chokes a cry.

“What…What is that?” He stutters looking at the cages. Rows and rows of them piled in three lines.

“Oh my god!” He hears Melissa say horrified.

Simon covers his mouth with his hand. There are creatures…Humans?

Limbs, scarred and bloody come out of the bars as if trying to catch something out of it, all of them stiff, which means that they are long dead.

Blood comes out of many of them along with pus. Those are hands without any doubts, but they look different. Some large, others dark furred. But the scariest thing of all is the breathing. Many are still alive. Simon can only see some noses, the gleaming of rings and some teeth from his position, but they definitely human.

He has to get out of here. This isn’t right. What is wrong with that woman? How can she lock human beings in cages and make experiments to them? Mel…He has to get Mel and runway. She was right. She knew that something was wrong in here and he would listen.

He looks at his right and finds her standing still with her eyes wide open. He jogs at her and takes her by the arm. She staring at big and steaming machine he hasn’t seen before.

“We need to get out of here,” He mutters.

She nods.

What are they going to do? Tell the police? Call the government? If she truly works for them, they already know. There are no communication in the city. There are no internet connection or phone calls out of the limits. They isolated them from the rest of the world, and this is the reason. Stiles, Scott. They need to get back home and try the way to get their sons out of this hell.

“I’m really sorry Mel. You were right all this time” He swallows but she doesn’t respond. She is near shock, so he pulls of her arm to force her to walk and she follows him, but just a couple of steps away from the rectangle from which they came in she stops. “Si…Simon”

His pulse quickens and turns at his left to see what she is staring at.

Fastened with huge screws is another cage, eight feet tall, which contains a matt of brown fur. The longer Simon stares, the harder his heart beats. He knows it is alive, but his mind hasn’t yet convinced the idea, so he stays calm, but is just matter of seconds before he loses it.

It is a monster.

It has the body of a bear, the snout of a boar, ears-like bat wings and nails sharp and almost as thick as the bars that encage it.

It is asleep.

Whatever it is has been dozed. There is long tube that comes from one of its arms and its administrating a yellow liquid right it is veins. There are more at its left. In a counter, other five syringes prepared with the same liquid as if in case it wakes up and comes out of control.

“Simon…” Mel holds his hand to steady her body. But Simon isn’t sure he can offer her the comfort she is looking for. H is beyond terrified, if it wasn’t because of his preservation instincts he would stay there frozen by fear, but something inside him pulls him, yells at him to run before it is too late.    

He tightens his grip on Mel’s hand and turns to run and never look back, but Julie is already waiting for them.

Melissa cries, Simon swims his arms, the world spin and a horrible croak escapes his mouth. He doesn’t know where Mel is. He can’t think or react, he knows he is trying to break free but he can’t find her. Julie is on top of him yelling things as crazy.

Mel jumps on her they both fall on their sides, the creatures wake up and now it is a mayhem.  There are shouts and cries, and then Simon finds a pair of green eyes staring at him from one of the cages and a teenager shows through the bars.

“Please kill me,” He begs.

The last thought Simon has before fainting with a gash in the side of his head is, how much longer he will live until he starts begging for the same thing?

…….

The door is behind an emergency staircase that takes to the ground level.

Chris has to hide for at least ten minutes when a couple of cars come in and some doctors climb down of them to take the stairs.

He can listen to a humming not so far and he isn’t sure it is a generator or something else, considering that it seems to come from the room he is about to get in.

A part of him is still hesitant about this. He should have waited a couple of days to get a better plan or at least get a gun to kill this she-wolf. But Alice is right, the longer they last in killing her, the closer Damian will be to finally extend the life of Wendigos indefinably, or even worse, to get the missing piece in his puzzle to awaken that all mighty and indestructible creature Chris never heard of.

It has to be tonight, or this morning since the first streaks of light are already coming from above. That’s it. In a couple of hours, the town will rise and things can get pretty badly. If he could only get to talk to Allison, or at least Scott and order him to get her out.

When the last doctor is gone, Chris comes out from behind the car he was hiding and approaches the door. It is stained and looks pretty heavy, mostly for the years of supposed disuse, but Alice told him they have been using it in the last days.

How is she? Is she okay? Did Damian find her?

He shakes his head and gets the handle of the door.

It is closed. Of course it would be.

He looks around trying to find something that might help him but there isn’t anything there.

 _Damn it!_ He is running out of time, he needs to get there before it is…

Cries, yells, curses and pleads. All of them come to his ears at once overwhelming him. Something is going on inside.

Chris kicks the door frustrated as their echo grows louder and one of the hinges clatters. Chris’ chest flutter with hope, with all that noise she won’t be able to listen to him, if he keeps banging the door.

He tries again, and again, and again, and bit a bit the hinge gets looser and looser as the one above follows its track, when the first drops to the floor the door swings its right a light comes out followed by more shouts of terror, a woman is crying. Chris’ heart lurches, he knows that that she-wolf has been doing experiments with humans but…

He kicks stronger this time, it is almost loose. He kicks again and the door bursts in. He hops over it and gets inside being swept by the intense cold, the blinding light and the deafening cries, shouts, curses, begs and growls.

There she is, dragging a woman on the floor.

“Hey!” He roars.

She jolts taken by surprise, her senses clearly clouded by the confusing scene. It is his chance. Chris tugs out his knife and lungs after her.

“Argent!” She roars in a half-mock half-cry.

Chris swims his knife and she dodges rolls on the floor and kick him in the ankle making him lose his balance as the pain overwhelms him for a second and gets to the side to avoid her nails.

He stands trying not to use his right leg too much.

“A knife? That’s what you’re planning to use against him?” She laughs and throws a punch Chris ducks, and there is a metallic noise behind him.

  Something breaks free shrilling uncontrollably, and the woman cries in pain as the creature attacks her.

Chris spins and see them now, rows and rows of cages containing the results of her experiments. It is disgusting and saddening. He should later finish them as last give of mercy.

He looks right now at the woman on the floor who is trembling in the arms of a man as she looks at them horrified and a lump climbs to his throat.

“Melissa?” Chris says shocked.

“Christopher!” Says the man and Chris’ heart starts throbbing.

“Simon! What are you doing here?”

Simon has a bloody lip and utterly frightened expression; however, he still can get the hold of himself to take Melissa in his arms who is clearly in shock.

“Get out of here!” Chris orders immediately.

Simon looks at him and then at the she-wolf. “But…You were dead! I thought you were dead”

“Get out of here Simon and take Melissa with you!”

Simon stands with his eyes fixed still on them.

“Chris…” Melissa mutters. “She is trying to do something! You have to stop her!”

“Please tell me that Allison is okay,” Chris asks fearing the answer.

Melissa nods. “They don’t know about this”

“Who? About what?”

Chris listens to the struggle at his back. It won’t last much longer.

“Get out of here; we will talk when this is over” He demands.

Melissa and Simon nod and hurry to get out of there from the door Chris opened.

“You’re not going anywhere,” The She-wolf roars, Chris’ guts squirms, and a chill runs down his spine as he turns to find the half-human half-Wendigo being letting out its last shriek of pain as she splits it in half and sprays herself with blood. A cream-like coat starts covering her body as it stretches and her clothes shred in pieces.

“Run!” Chris comands at the startled Simon and Melissa.

It is too late. She gets in their way in a blink and rises a paw.

“If you do anything to them I’ll kill myself” Chris warms taking his knife to his own neck.

The wolf cranes its neck with interest as it slowly reduces its size and the features of the face turn back to be human to later reveal a naked woman in the middle of Simon and Melissa. “What do I care if you die? You would be saving time”

“What’s going on here?” Simon demands with eyes like crazy staring at Chris at then at the woman seconds away from fainting.

“Simon, shut up” Replies a calmer Melissa.

“I know what you’re planning on doing doctor, and it won’t work”

Her eyes snap. “You’re lying”

“You think so? It would be a tragedy for Damian to lose the only person who knows how to finish it,” He says, careful of his word choosing to make her believe he knows what they are up to after all.

“Even if you know you wouldn’t help”

“I could if you meet my demands”

“Wait a second…” The she wolf looks at Chris and then at Melissa and Simon. “You sent them here to distract me! You ruined the communications so we can’t contact the others in the outside! It has always been you isn’t it?”

He doesn’t know what she is talking about but he nods. “Always a step ahead. I’m a legend after all”

Her bottom lip wobbles and she steps back scared.

“A knife, that’s all I need to get rid of you, or…We can work together on pleasing Damian’s twisted whish for a…”

He can’t finish his sentence. Simon is faster and before he realizes he takes the spare gun from Melissa’s belt and shoots, once, twice.

The she-wolf falls on her back.

Simon sights and then holds the gun toward Chris. “Now you’re going to tell me…”

Who rises his hands staring at his friends shaking ones.

“Simon!” Chris roars but it is too late.

She is on her feet again.

Simon and Melissa fall unconscious in a blink.

Chris tries to reach them, but it is now his turn to faint when a strong hit stamps his head against the floor.

…….

 He feels like floating in a cloud or like being stuffed into a box several inches shorter than he is. A metal box with nails that come through his skin.

He can feel her too, there with him. She is lost and scared. They have done horrible things. No, it is just her, she feels that way. He…Isn’t sure how he is feeling apart from the aching in his chest.

He opens his eyes a bit confused.

He is inside his room. It is mostly dark with some gray streaks of light filtering from the window behind him. What did he do last night?

He can’t remember well.

His whole body is sore as if he ran for hours. Did he party last night? Where in the hell Scott took him.

No, he couldn’t have been out with Scott. Scott doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore.

He tries to sit, but a sharp and breathtaking pain in his chest pin him to his bed and he groans while holds his tears back.

“You’re awake,” A soft and deep voice says from his right.

Stiles’ heart stirs with a mix of pain and awkwardness as his memories of his dream, or was it real? Sweep him.

“De…Derek” He mumbles. “What are you doing here?”

Derek stares at him for a second without speaking a word, then he licks his lips and Stiles makes an effort to don’t pay attention to it. “I wanted to make sure you are okay”

“Why? What happened to me?” He asks confused.

Derek frowns and then his face contorts with realization and a bit of dread. “You…You don’t remember”

Stiles isn’t sure if that was a statement or a question.

He has briefs and confusing memories right now. Because of his dream, he isn’t sure of what is real and what isn’t.

“I…I got hurt. Right?”

Derek nods.

“Someone shoved me in a box, but I can’t remember his face, it was a bearded old man”

Derek chortles. “That didn’t happen. I think it was just a nightmare”

Stiles arches a brow. “You’re laughing” he points out startled. “I think I never saw you do it before”

Derek arches a brow amused. “What? I always laugh with your jokes”

Stiles looks at him as if he is crazy. “Are you kidding? You said my jokes sucked”

Derek snorts. “Didn’t I tell you that I think you’re funny?”

“You think I’m funny?” Stiles half-snort half-shrieks as a disturbing heat lands on his cheeks.

“Yes” Derek mutters.

A chill runs down Stile’s spine and before he notices, Derek is on top of him, his body carefully placed so he is right on him without actually being it. It is amazing how gracefully he can move sometimes.

He is so close Stiles can actually feel the extreme and almost scorching warmness of his body. Something he is feeling jealous about in this chilly morning.

“If I could only…” Derek whispers slowly licking his lips again.

Stiles feels a force pulling him upward. Toward his face, his fiery blue eyes, to his squared and fuzzy jaw, to his fleshy eager lips and his intoxicating breath. He is a trap masked in a human face. Derek is right, if they could only…

But they can’t. He recalls it now.

If Derek lowers just half an inch, they will hurt each other, in some many ways it is too painful to even think about it.

Stiles moves his face to his left, to avoid Derek’s lips and hide the frustration in his eyes from him. 

“It was Allison,” He says more to himself than to Derek.

Derek stands quickly turning so Stiles can’t see his face. “She was going after me”

Stiles swallows. “I remember….I…Should”

 “We’re not having this conversation again Stiles,” Derek warns him.

Why? Why he can’t understand that everything, everyone would be better if he…Is he selfish enough to sacrifice the possibility of stop the war and save his friends just…Just because of…

“Aren’t you still able to remember the fight?” Derek asks with concern.

The fight…It is like a blank spot in his mind.

He shakes his head. “You think I’m going crazy?”

Derek turns and his features soften a little until they turn into an amused smile.

Stiles can’t help noticing with some guilt how attractive he looks as he keeps noticing the way his lips curve upward and the dimples draw his attention.

He has to look away again.

“You’re not going crazy. You’re just…I don’t know, too strong and your powers maybe just need control”

“Too strong? Really?” Stiles laughs.

“Yeah. Actually you’re kind…Of scaring in that state”

Stiles cracks in laughs and then pants as the aching in his chest chokes him.

“I can’t believe the big bad wolf just said I’m scary”

“Don’t get enthusiastic, I said a little bit” Derek looks at him with concern but he laughs too. “I can’t explain it with words, but it is like you….”

A phone rings.

Derek shoves his hands in his pocket. “Sorry” He turns and picks up the call.

“Where is he?” Derek asks with his usual stern voice and Stiles gaps noticing that he has just been talking with a completely different person.

Whom is he talking to anyway?

“Did you tell him he is alive?”

Derek listens a couple of minutes in silence and then curses. “Alright, I’m coming”

He hangs up.

“What…What happened?” Stiles tries to sit and the pain comes again clouding his mind.

“Stay in bed” Derek orders. “Last night, after…You know, Scott went after Allison and we thought he was going to kill her”

“She is not dead. I can feel her” Stiles hurries to reply, yet taken aback for what he just heard.

“How does that work?” Derek frowns.

Stiles sighs. “Wish I know”

“Never mind. Scott is okay, but it is sunrise and Jackson and he are naked in the woods, so…I’m going over to get them clothes and…Well, he doesn’t want to come back. I should talk to him”

“Oh…” Stiles simply says.

“We’ll be here in thirty minutes, please stay in bed”

Stiles chuckles. “Ain’t like I can move much, am I?”

Derek looks at him thoughtfully and then nods. He goes to the bottom of the bed and grabs an old rope Scott and he used to play when they were kids.

“Derek…”

“Yeah, I don’t trust you” Derek says with a grin.

“But…What if I have to pee”

“Hold yourself, I’ll be back soon”

“Derek!” Stiles protests as the wolf quick but gently tights his arms and legs to the bed.

“You can’t leave me like this! What if those wolves come after me again?”

“Are you serious?” Derek arches a brow amused. “They are more scared of you than you of them. Either way, they won’t attack in the day. It is too risky”

“Derek please…”

“Try to get some sleep”

“But…”

Derek finishes tying the last knot in his left ankle and rises.

“I won’t take long. I promise” He assures as he briefly brushes Stile’s forehead with his lips and vanishes in the window.

Stiles fights the feelings in his chest and sights, maybe he should get some sleep. It would be very awkward and hard to explain if his dad comes in a finds him tied to…

His dad…He should be at home.

He should have woke him an hour ago.

What…What happened to him?

…….

As surprising as it looks. She could sleep that night. Probably because of the pill Lydia gave her, or maybe because being surrounded by her friend’s hands made her feel some kind of safety to avoid all the things that haunted her.

 However, her dreams weren’t pleasant at all. She is half-awake now, but there are still traces of them in her mind. She has to hold her breath and wait at least two minutes to process the mix of thoughts and stories in her head to keep everything in mind.

Just a minute ago, she thought she murdered Scott. Now she knows it wasn’t he but Stiles. There is something disturbing about this; the realization of her real victim brings her some hope to her chest. It is awful and she hates herself because of it, but at least Scott is alive. At least it wasn’t he who received her arrow, though that doesn’t matter anymore.

 He wants her dead.

You have to mess things up pretty badly for the boy who once loved you so naïve and yet deeply, someone with a heart as gentle as Scott’s now wants you dead. And it is even harder to bear, to think that, it is through this pain that she realizes that her feelings for him never faded. Even when he lied and is on Derek’s side, she loves him. The scarce months they spent together made her feel safe in many ways; as if she have found the place, she belonged.

“Allison” Lydia mumbles softly as she brushes her arm slightly.

Allison opens her eyes faintly, being blinded by the sun. Being awake is even worse than her nightmares. Because it brings to her mind, what she fears the most.

Reality.

“We better hurry up and get school before it gets late”

Allison nods without moving.

“Are you fine? Or would you rather me to take you with Dr. Fintshood?”

Allison is tempted to stay silent, but it will only make Lydia freak out and call an ambulance or something to lock her for good.

Instead, she has to keep pretending that everything is alright so she can talk to Uncle Jeremy today after class. It is better to act as if everything she lived last night was just a nightmare and that Stiles isn’t ….Feeling…Awkward.

Allison jerks up with her eyes wide open and her heartbeat in her ears.

“Allison! Is...Are you okay?”

He is inside her. She can’t read well, because it is just a slight and weak feeling inside her. But there is no doubts, those feelings she is experiencing aren’t hers.

That arousal, that sexual thirst…Is he…?

No spark though. Or better said, she can’t feel their former spark in her hand as it used to work. Now…It has spread, and it isn’t pulsating, almost as if it lost its state. She isn’t sure of how to put words on it, but it feels as if it is everywhere inside her, almost as if a part of him truly lives inside her and not just a wisp in the wind as if it used.

She can scarcely feel him, but somehow she feels more connected to him than before, and right now…She feels a bit uncomfortable with the vibes he is giving her. She almost feels as if she is spying on him. But in other hands….

He is alive! Stiles lives. He is pain, in an awful one, she can almost feel the throbbing sensation in her heart as if the arrow came through her too, but he is breathing and more importantly he isn’t wounded in his inside. She can feel his presence, he is the same quirky, dumb boy she once knew and he is happy and scared and confused and aroused.

“Allison…You’re scaring me”

Allison chuckles and covers her mouth feeling embarrassed as she tries to take Stiles’ feelings outside her even when she is so happy for having them.

She shakes her herd. “Sorry, it is just that. I just recalled I have no clothes to get to school today”

Lydia stares at her with a crested brow for half a minute, then she purses her lips and gives her a sidelong look. “Just that? You really scared me! I thought you were having an episode. You can have whatever you want from my closet”

“Really?” Allison pretends to be excited, though the idea of fitting Lydia’s wide-chested blouses didn’t encourage her at all. But she was happy, she can’t explain with words how wonderful this awkwardness feels inside her, is like waking from an awful nightmare. As if werewolves or lies never existed and she is just enjoining the aftermath of a sleep over with her friend after they spent the whole night chatting about boys. “Thanks”

“No worries” Lydia winks at her. “Now get dress, I’ll check my mail while you bath”

Allison nods and prepares to get to the bathroom while Lydia sits in her bed with her laptop in her lap. “Lydia”

“Yeah?” Asks her friend with some frustration in her eyes.

“Thanks for helping me last night”

“It’s okay, you would do the same for me” Her friend affirms with a smirk and then frowns again at the laptop.

Allison takes a quick bath to get ready for school. When she comes out of the bathroom she finds Lydia sighing with her eyes still in the screen.

“I don’t understand. How did you do to send that mail last night?” The girl asks in frustration.

Allison thinks she knows the answer, but of course she can’t just tell her about her weird powers and get her involved again in this mess, all she can do is lie.

“I don’t know. I just sat there and clicked on…” She says as she clutches the towel in her chest and moves closer.

“Wait!” Says Lydia excited. “I loaded!”

“See?” Allison smiles thought she is a bit concerned and steps back to get to the dresser.

“No! It lost the connection again”

Allison sighs and takes a pair of pants. “Maybe you should try at the school’s network”

“The whole town is unplugged Allison. Well, not literally unplugged”

“What do you mean?” Allison frowns as she goes to the dresser next to her friend to take a look at her face.

“Hey! Is up again!” Lydia lets out happily.

“See? Maybe it has something to do with the storm” Allison affirms as she cleans the wound in her head and gets to the other side of the room to put on her shoes.

“No! Oh god I just…Wait a minute… Allison come here” Lydia asks frowning harder.

Allison hesitates and obeys, and with every step she takes her friend’s gaping mouth widens larger.

“How…How…” Lydia stands up and takes her phone. “I’ve been trying to call my dad for days. We have no news of him” She explains.

“What that’s…”

Lydia picks her phone and dials a number while she turns on the speaker. It instantly sends her to the voicemail.

“Maybe…”

“Think fast” Her friend says and before she realizes her cellphone is flying right at her head.

Allison grabs it by instinct, and stares at Lydia’s furious, as a voice fills the room.

“Lydia? Honey? Is that you?”

The phone slips from Allison’s hands and falls as an openmouthed Lydia looks at her with a crazy gleaming and hurries to catch the phone before it hits the floor.

“Hey dad” The girl starts casually.

Allison panics and looks at the door, but before she has a chance to get out, Lydia is already blocking her way.

…….

At some point he fell asleep again. He knows this because…Because he lost count of how many times Derek has showed up in his window to force his lips against him, but every time he opens his eyes there is no one there, and the tiredness and the pain make him drowse again.

He doesn’t want to think about it. It is something so sudden and at the same time so relieving. He always kept his feeling for Derek well stocked in the back on his mind because he has always known it wouldn’t be safe or wise to approach to him that way.

Derek must die.

He promised Scott he would relieve him from his curse when everything was over, and to do so. He has to die on Scott’s hands, but now that he has shown this new side of him to Stiles, he isn’t sure if the alpha will keep his promise, or even worse.

He isn’t sure if he will be able to let him.

That is why he has to keep Derek out of his mind and more importantly of his heart, but it is hard. Every time he recalls what happened last night his heart lurches, his mouth gets dry and a warmness spreads all around his body. He needs it, that bittersweet feeling that swept him and took his breath the night before, the butterflies, the lump on his throat and shaking.

Just a small kiss was enough to make him addict to them, though…In other hand.

They can’t touch each other.

That’s another reason why they must stay away from the other. The idea of hurting Derek every time they touch, it is much of what he can bear. He is mad at Allison right now for shooting that arrow that condemned him to be unable to touch Derek now when they have shown a bit of honesty of much they want it.

They will never be able to…

He seriously has to keep those thoughts out of his mind. They aren’t just awkward and dangerous, but also keep his mind busy from the things that really matter to him right now.

It is so unfair. Why Derek didn’t tell him anything before? Why he had to wait for everything to be so mess up to the point of not coming back to be honest?

It is better this way. They are both adults and they know they are playing with fire. They can’t be together even if they want to. All the odds are against them. And maybe it isn’t real anyway, maybe Derek just feels guilt for what happened to Stiles and he is trying to pay him somehow.

What he doesn’t know is that he is hurting him deeper than any arrow, for showing the promise of something they both now can’t have a future.

 _Where are you dad?_ He thinks with sadness when he finally gets in control of his thoughts.

Dylan.

What happened to him? Did the wolves took him? Derek said the wolves ran away from him and there is another question.

Did he really beat them? Did he really do all the things Derek said he did?

It is hard to imagine himself fighting werewolves, when he scarcely could look at Scott shift in the first times months ago without passing away.

But if Derek is right, he saved Dylan, but if he is…Where is him?

“Finally” His tired voice says suddenly and Stiles yelps.

His shadow finds his way in through the window at his back and then Derek is already releasing his knots. “What? Did I scare you?”

Stiles glares at him and then hears more voices.

When Derek is done Stiles makes an effort and rolls on his side to stand up.

“Wait…What are you doing?”

“I have to go to the bathroom” Stiles replies with clenched teeth. “An asshole had me here waiting for hours and I can’t hold myself anymore”

Derek rolls his eyes. “I had to. You get in trouble too easily”

Stiles chugs holding his chest as he tries to stand “Ain’t like I’m planning on showing at the Fenrir’s home and ask him to kill me”

Derek takes him by the arm and pants as he fights the pain he is struggling with.

Stiles blinks and yanks his arm furiously.

“Yeah, you’re right. You’re not going to do it. You don’t know where the Fenrir lives”

Stiles trudges to the bathroom followed by Derek as Jackson and Isaac’s voice grow louder.

“Why can’t you trust me?” Stiles grunts.

“Because I know you” Derek replies bitterly and opens the door.

Stiles balls his hands angrily and gets inside.

While he brushes his teeth and washes his face, he can hear that Isaac and Jackson are laughing about of tight Scott’s clothes fit Jackson and Stiles shudders. He can only hear three voices in his room, but was expecting that.

When he is done, he opens the door and finds them grinning in his bed.

“He is the man!” Jackson lets out loudly. “I’m glad to see you are okay”

Stiles smiles and steps ahead holding back his pain. “Thanks”

“You really scared us monkey” Isaac points out with a wobbling lip.

Stiles is taken back. He know Isaac have always cared about him, though he always suspected it was all pretended since he betrayed them once, but now that he can see his concern in his eyes…

“Hey” He hears a soft mutter.

His heartbeat quickens and he gaps. Now he notices Scott sitting right next Derek with his eyes fixed on him, red and swollen by the tiredness. A hurtful expression in his eyes spiced by a glistening look.

“I think we should wait outside” Derek says making signs to Isaac and Jackson with his eyes.

They both nod and follow him out without saying anything else.

“I…” Both of them say at once but stop at once.

Stiles looks away but still can feel Scott’s eyes on him.

“I…I thought you died” Scott’s voice cracked in the last word and before Stiles has time to look at him, his best friend throws his arms at his neck and he gasps his body stirs.

“Scott!” Stiles says with tears in his eyes. “Let me go…I…I can’t touch you anymore”

“I know” Scott pants at his ear. “I don’t care, if it hurt, but I need my best friend now”

Stiles wants to cry and kick and curse. He feels the need to yell at him. They were supposed to be mad at each other, and now he just shows up as if nothing happened!  After all the awful things he said. He wants to punch Derek and tell him he is an idiot for bring him here, for making him feel things he shouldn’t be feeling, and he is mad at Deaton for saving his life when he first told him he should die.

They broke apart. Scott’s face has turned pale and he won’t stop shaking. They stare at each for what feels like hours, until Scott’s hesitating hand rises and slow unbuttons Stiles pajama’s top and a memory flashes his mind.

When he woke up in Deaton’s basement last night he got a shredded shirt, but now…

 _Oh my god he dressed me!_ He thinks blushing as he looks down and notices that he is also wearing the matching pants of that pajama.

“What?” Scott asks frowning at him.

Stiles jerks up and shakes his head.

Scott’s hot fingers now take off his top and reveal Stile’s chest.

His friend grimaces and Stiles holds back his tears.

“I can’t believe she did this” Scott whispers with shaking voice.

Stiles glances down and his eyes meet the wound. It is just a short gash in the middle of the place where is heart is, surrounded by a large and scaring deep purple tone.

“Me too” Stiles admits nodding as he puts his top again and slowly sits on his bed.

“I should have killed her” Scott says with despise.

“Yes! You should have!” Isaac’s voice says from the other side of the door.

“Are you eavesdropping?” Stiles asks shocked. “I can’t believe you”

The door swings open and Isaac comes inside followed by Derek and Jackson.

“You should have, she deserves it” Isaac affirms.

“No!” Stiles replies before leaving any chance to Jackson to reply and is even more frightened for what Derek might say. “Look guys, I know you don’t understand, but something seriously bad happened last night”

“We know. We saw it” Jackson affirms.

“Is not that…I…I should have died. I had to happen that way”

“You tried to kill yourself?” Scott asks taken aback.

“I can’t even remember half of last day, but I guess so…Deaton told me that I had…”

“He told you to kill yourself?” Scott asks furious. “And you listened to him?”

Stiles chugs. “Is not that simple okay? I’ll explain it to you. Everything, but first I need to ask you something” He looks directly to Scott.

“What?”

“I want you to bring Allison here”

“What? No! What if she…”

“She won’t do anything to me Scott! She didn’t want to hurt me!”

“How do you know?”

“I just know, okay? She feeling awful right now. I can feel it”

“You can feel it?” Jackson says confused. “Since when you can feel her feelings?”

“Since I know her, or maybe I’ve always felt, I’m not sure, I just know she needs help. She is really lost and scared, she now knows I’m alive. I can feel she is feeling hope right now, but we need to sit and talk things once and for all and you guys will have your answers”

“I don’t know…”

 _I’m mad at her too. I want to yell at her for making me unable to touch you, to touch De…_  “Please Scott, I need you to do this for me”

“I don’t know Stiles I don’t think it is a good idea, you should ask Isaac, or Jackson”

“I could go” Jackson offers.

Stiles shakes his head. “I have another job for you, and I don’t trust Isaac. Sorry”

“Ouch” Isaac replies with sadness.

“Okay, I’ll try to talk to her, but I don’t think she will like to come considering that…I almost killed her last night”

“She almost kill me last night, so…I guess she knows how you feel”

Scott glares at him for his joke. “I’ll be back soon”

Stiles nods and Scott vanishes through the window.

Stiles now turns toward Derek, Isaac and Jackson.

“What do you need?” Jackson frowns.

“First Derek. Do you think you can go to the hospital and check that my dad is okay? This should be his day off. I know this is stupid but…”

“Is okay, I understand” Derek replies without protesting.

“Thanks”

“Isaac, you will stay here, taking care of Stiles just in case” Derek orders.

“It will be a pleasure” Isaac grins.

Stiles can notice how Derek’s eyes suddenly shine and a knot ties in his stomach.

When he is sure Derek is gone he looks at the boys in front of him. “I can take care of myself Isaac, I need you and Jackson to please get in the town looking for someone”

“Who?” Jackson asks intrigued.

“A boy called Dylan”

…….

“I don’t understand why you were so scared, ain’t like I was going to dissect you” Lydia giggles as they enter the classroom.

Allison’s eyes run across the room quickly scare of finding Scott or Stiles in there. When she confirms that they aren’t there she feels even more frightened now.

“I’m sorry I just…”

“You must be electrically charged or something” Lydia points out bored. “Though it is kind of interesting”

“I don’t think there is anything interesting in being a freak show” Allison says listlessly as they get into their places and wait for Harris to show up in front of the class.

Around her Allison can listen to her classmates talk about rumors and conspiracies. Virus, government, shut down, no internet, no phone calls. All the conversations lead to those topics.

“You’re not a freak Allison, you helped me realize what they were doing” Lydia says with a smirk.

“What do you mean?”

“After I left my dad and you calmed down, I went to my computer. Somehow something in you reestablished the communication long enough for me to dig into the local network. The gateways have been rewritten to feedback the system”

Allison scratches the wound on her head confused though a bit happy Lydia doesn’t suspect anything about her and her scary powers, and at the same time helps her keep her mind busy from thinking about Stiles and Scott.

“They made a loop in the system, when someone tries to contact the outer world, the system automatically connects them to themselves, that is why it looks like there is internet connection when actually isn’t”

“So…It wasn’t me” Allison whispers hopeful.

“You? How could it be you?” Lydia chortles. “It is the government, they locked us in the town, probably to prevent those rumors about a virus to spread”

Allison sighs with relief. “But…What’s the point to close the city if they are only rumors?”  

Lydia’s expression darkens. “That’s the thing, maybe they aren’t fake”

Allison holds her breath, of course they can’t be fake. It has something to do with the wolves. She is sure of it.

“What concerns me, is the food shortage. My mom went to the grocery yesterday and it was closed, but through the windows she could see it was completely empty. With the town shut, it will be only matter of days for everyone to went nuts and start killing each other”

“For food?” Allison arches a brow.

“It’s the mob Allison, there are three things large populations will always be afraid of. The unknown, the food shortage and equal rights”

Allison snorts. “I think you’re wrong. I mean, yeah things are weird lately around here, but everyone is continuing with their lives as if nothing is happening. Just look around” He swings her arm to show her friend they are the proof of it. Even when their classmates are scared, everyone is quiet.

Then comes explosion. People shrills not far from their classroom.

“What was that?” Rhonda asked behind them.

“It sounds like someone just blew the chemistry lab” Someone joked.

“It’s not funny asshole. This is serious. My dad heard rumors about an uprising”

“Uprising?” Lydia asks.

“Maybe we should get out of here” Amanda suggested.

“Are you crazy? What if it is one of those psycho school murderers?” Rhonda grunts.

“I’m serious guys. I’m scared”

Allison and Lydia stand slowly. She can feel her guts squirming and the see wobbling lip of her friend.

“Lydia, maybe Amanda is right”

Lydia nods taking Allison by the arm.

The door swings open and a sweaty Harris comes in quickly. “I need everyone to sit down, please”

 _Please?_ Allison thinks frightened, since when Harris asks someone anything kindly?

“Mr. Harris?” Amanda asks in a sob.

“Everyone please sit down and stay calm”

Rhonda started crying too.

“There is nothing to worry about, just sit!” The man grumbles losing his patience.

When everyone finally takes sit in silence the man clears his throat.

“There have been an explosion three streets away from here” He explains.

“Three streets? Are you kidding? It feel right inside here” Amanda shrieks.

“It was a big explosion. The police has been informed and the fire department is on its way to evacuate the school, until them I suggests…”

“Oh my god! I live just three streets away from here! My mom! My little sister” Jena starts crying loudly and then more people starts sobbing. “I need to go… My mom Mr. Harris, please”

“I can’t let you…”

Jena jumps of her seat and runs at the door. Mr. Harris tries to get in her way, but Brandon and Greg make him to the side. There are cries and groans. A struggle starts between the two boys and the teacher until this last one falls on his back cursing and calling after them, but maybe they can’t hear him, because of the stampede of people that hurries to get out.

“Let’s get out of here two” Lydia says taking Allison by the arm.

Allison can notice how stressed her friend is, but she can’t do anything to calm her. All this situation caught her by surprised, and after what she lived last night, she just wants to run and cry and kick. She is feeling so frightened of everything. The town isn’t safe anymore in any way.

They stride through corridors after corridors, their class defiance encourages more and more classrooms’ doors to fly open. In matter of minutes Allison finds herself breathing heavily in a sea of panicking teenagers fighting to break free.

“Allison!” She hears Lydia’s terrified voice over the crowd and now she notices her friend is missing.

“Lydia! Where are you?”

Her friend replies, but Allison can’t get anything because of the noisy thong they are in. The sea of people is drawing them to the parking lot regardless of the muffled orders of teachers and the principal through the speakers. No one is paying attention.

The situation got out of control.

“Allison!”

A fresh draft of air and the grey morning finally greet her, and she breaths with some relief.

The students are already on their way to cars, others are running toward the streets to get to their homes. Allison keeps looking for Lydia with her eyes, but she can’t find her. There are too much people around.

More and more teachers keep showing up, dragging people inside. Allison tries to make sense of all this mayhem, but it is too late. Once they hear their gunshots everything becomes even crazier.

 


	26. REINFORCEMENTS

#  **REINFORCEMENTS**

 

 How many hours have passed? She isn’t sure. Maybe she passed for three minutes, three hours or three days.

Her head aches.

She is a…She is the same thing Scott is a…Monster. Do they know each other?

No.

They can’t. Longshot attacked Julie, and he trusts her son. Whatever her friend is playing to do, none of this was part of his plans. This woman, this organization are bad news for everyone in the town.

She doesn’t dare to open her eyes. She knows that everything will get worse in matter of seconds if their captor knows she is awake, therefore she keeps her mind ease.

Even when the drowsiness and the headache brings some of the memories from the moment she stamped her head against the floor and the previous struggle, she lets herself be taken away by the confusion and heaviness of her thoughts.

Stiles told her months ago that were…They can smell the fear and can easily listen to heartbeats. If she lets her emotions take over her she is done. She needs to pretend to be unconscious for as much as she can until she can get as much information as she can of a way to get out or at least to communicate with the outside world.

The cold air is more than annoying, it is starting to drive her crazy. She wishes she has something to protect herself from it. The cage isn’t helping anymore, since it is iron, which mixed with the freezing air…

The cage!

Maybe it is open. If Julie put her inside, she might have made the mistake of letting it open since she thought Melissa wouldn’t wake up anytime soon, or even better she would think that she would be too afraid for even thinking about escaping.

She just has to wait for her chance.

She focuses on breathing evenly and listening the conversation.

“Why you don’t want to tell me?” She hears Longshot’s voice just a couple of feet from her.

“Because if you knew what I am doing, you would tell me right away what I’m doing wrong”

Longshot snorts. “Really? It looks like you’re planning on finish it yourself for Damian to reward you”

What are they talking about?

“Don’t try to play tricks on me. You know Damian is planning on offering you a free pass if you help to get it ready” Julie shots back.

“Maybe” He ponders.

“So…You’re scared”

“Maybe you are scared too”

“I’m not scared. There is nothing I would be afraid of. He trusts me”

“Come one! You don’t seriously believe his words! You’re a doctor. You were trained to save lives. If he turned you into a werewolf, it is just because he needs your brain, you know you’re disposable in the end. And if I’m not mistaken, for a doctor to agree to be part of a massacre, he must have something on you. Who did he kidnap? Who he said he was going to kill if you didn’t help? That’s why you haven’t get him here, you want him to believe you achieved it yourself”

She doesn’t answer right away. And now Melissa can notice he touched a sensitive spot on her.

_Damn he is good._

She snorts. “Maybe I just like the idea of liberating the world from your kind’s tyranny”

“You aren’t a bipedalist” He points out. “I won’t buy your lies. If you are truly committed to his cause, you would have spent the last year learning how to become more powerful. You are just scared of him. Like the rest of your pack. That is why he is destined to fail. At the end, all of you will turn your backs on him when a new leader shows up. Because deep inside you know he won’t make it. You are just waiting. All of you”

“Shut up!” She shrieks and he moans.

Melissa hears a spitting and then a snort.

“If you really want to be this leader you claim to be, then what are you doing here instead of going after him to kill him?’

He takes a moment to reply. “I first need to make sure that all his wolves realize this is a lost cause”

“Lie. You came here, hoping to find a way to get the subject ready for him. So he can spare your miserable life”

“You think you know very much about me because you have been a werewolf for what? A year? If you really knew about me, you would know I’m not a coward”

“I have heard enough stories about you to know you are indeed a coward. You turned your back to my kind when your wife was murdered. Because deep inside you never changed. You have always been a cold blooded murdered. What do you want anyway? Are you trying to buy time? Is someone else involved? There is an informer isn’t it?”

“There always is” He affirms. “But not this time. Damian likes to boast about everything he does. Like every dictator who has ever ruled. He acts before thinking. It is a pity he won’t get the chance to rule”

“You are working for them again, aren’t you?”

“Wow! They got you really informed about me, you even dare to talk to me as if we met in the past”

“You are the past for any breed that at some point felt scared of living”

“Yeah. I got a reputation. It isn’t a big deal, but I wouldn’t work with them. Not again”

“I bet they sent you here, and hoping that if they deliver you to Damian he will forgive them and let them live”

He snorts. “You aren’t that smart after all if you think they are scared of any of you”

“We got two…”

“You can have an army of a million wolves. It won’t make any difference. If you really get to start war against them, it doesn’t matter how fast and strong, or how much you howl to the moon for help. There won’t be any of you left to howl the dead in the end”

“Don’t be stupid Christopher. We are unstoppable. No one can stand a chance against us”

“Really? Say that to the Hale family”

“That was different they…”

“Were royalty. They had the real Fenrir among them. Not just a title Damian decided to invest upon him. They were stronger as you can’t imagine”

“Really?” She snorts. “I heard that boy Derek is weaker than any of us”

“Because he won’t embrace who he is and his destiny. He lives in denial because he blames himself for what happened, but if he was a leader willing to really claim his rightful place, you would have no choice than to bend your knees”

“I would never…”

“It is the rule. Your nature would force you to do it”

“You are working with him then? Are you planning on using him against us?”

“What? Are you afraid Doctor?”

“I’m tired of this. Tell me how to finish it!” She demands.

“First tell me what you have done so far”

“You…You really don’t know…” She says with realization in her voice. “You’re trying to buy time after all. What a disappointment”

“I’m not trying to buy time. I need to know what you are doing wrong. That’s all”

“Really? Tell me then!”

“You tell me!”

“I’m not playing your games. I don’t know what you were thinking when you brought those humans with you, but now they are going to pay for your insolence”

Melissa hears steps approaching. She slowly opens her eyes just enough to see the blurry shape approaching. Her heartbeat quickens, but with some luck she won’t notice.

Julie rises her hand and pulls the cage open.

“No! Wait!” Longshot yells with desperation in his voice.

Julie smirks pleased and turns to face him.

Melissa takes her chance and throws herself on top of her.

…….

Another explosion brings her back to reality.

She stands up and takes of her classmates by the arm.

“We need to find a safe place”

“Come back to school!” Someone yells at them at their backs.

Allison doesn’t even dare to look back. Somehow she knows that that professor is dead by now.

They start running toward the nearest building the find. The doors are closed. They can see people from inside looking at them frightened.

 At her left there is a drugstore on fire. Cinder and smoke mix with the fog to give a somber look to the town. Everything is chaos now.

“Let’s us out!” A chanting sings not too far. It starts like a humming, but with every passing second it grows louder and louder making Allison feel uneasy.

They are the people behind all this mess.

“To the ground” A guy at her left shouts and without thinking twice Allison obeys.

Gunshots bang all around. She puts her hands over her head and starts sobbing on the ground as the bullets hit the concrete and the walls around them.

“We need to get out of here” She isn’t even sure who is firing the guns. All she knows is that she needs to get out of here soon.

“Allison!”

 _Lydia._ Allison’s heart leaps. One thing is take care of her life and hope her classmates to survive this raid, but now she has to add her best friend to the equation.

“Lydia!” She cries overwhelmed without daring to look up.

When the shooting ends she quickly stands and runs at her back.

A stirring Lydia throws her arms at her neck as she soaks Allison’s blouse with tears.

“Lydia what are you doing here? I thought you were at home already!”

“I…Fre…Freaked out!” Lydia sobs shaking uncontrollably. “I thought…I thought you were behind me! When I didn’t see you…”

“I have to go somewhere” Allison explains as Uncle Jeremy’s face comes to her mind.

“I’m coming with you” Lydia says a bit calmer.

“No, you can’t! You have to go home and hide!”

“Run!” Someone from inside the building at their left cries.

Allison cranes her neck to her right and now she can see them.

The people who started the riot. All of them marching with ragged clothes, smoldered arms and legs, faces covered with cloths and guns on their arms. Some carry signs that read _“Freedom” “We need food” “There won’t be peace until there is a way out”_ And so many others Allison doesn’t get a chance to read because they are already on their feet.

Allison takes Lydia’s hand, and they dash down the avenue followed by their classmates. They spot some police officers coming out of a corner, they aim to them, Allison wants to cry, wants to say that they are just high school students. Instead she croaks breathless and ducks with precaution as one of them fires.

“Are you insane? They are kids!” The female officer yells furious pushing her partner to the side.

“Mom?!” One of the girls in Allison’s group shrieks.

“Sheryl!” The woman lets out shocked. “What are you doing here?”

She makes them signs to follow her. Allison doesn’t want to miss her chance to continue on her journey but the woman won’t let her go that easily. She guides them zigzagging from the streets that now look odd and unfamiliar to Allison. The officer peers from the corners of every street before making them signs to follow her.

Finally she finds an empty ally packed with dumpsters.

“You need to hide” She says looking at both sides frantically. “You will be save here”

“Mom, what is going on?” Sheryl asks between sobs.

“It’s okay honey. Everything is going to be alright”

“Why they are doing this?” One of the guys in the group asks furious.

“It is because the food shortage, people are getting madder every day. I promise everything will be fine, but you need to hide. Stay here and don’t come out until I get back for you. Understood?”

“What if you don’t come back?” The guy asks sternly.

“No! Mom!” Sheryl cries louder.

“Shhh!”  Lydia clamps her mouth. “Your mom will be alright. She was trained for situations like this one. She will be fine and she will come back for us when everything is under control”

The woman spins and looks at Lydia squinting. “You are in charge. Please, make sure that everyone gets into the dumpsters and don’t let them out until I come for you”

Lydia nods.

“If…I don’t come back in two hours, try to find help. Use empty buildings to hide and get into the police station. You will safe there”

“Aren’t the going to the city hall?” Allison points out hating herself a bit for her statement.

The woman glares at her. “We won’t let them take it, but you are right. If there aren’t any signs of the order being reestablished go to the forest. It is large enough for you to hide”

“The forest? Are you kidding there are….” Allison quickly shuts up recalling she can’t share that kind of information with them and also asking herself if the werewolves got something to do in all this.

“There are what?” The woman squints.

“Wild animals!” Allison mumbles.

“I would rather unarmed animals, than crazy people” One of the girls at Allison’s right says with determination.

“Mom…”

“I have to go now, baby” The officer says with a soothing voice as she approaches Sheryl and kisses her forehead. “I’ll come back for you all. I promise”

“Mom…Please don’t go”

“I have to, Sheryl. Now get in the dumpster”

The officer turns on her heels and storms out. They open the containers and bit a bit they start getting inside. They need the help of two guys to get Sheryl in hers, but in the end they make it.

Lydia grips Allison’s hands in the darkness once they are safely hidden in their container and they breathe in through their mouths to escape from the eye-watering stench.

She isn’t sure how time passes inside the darkness. If it isn’t by Lydia’s breathing Allison would think she is alone. No one dares to say a word or move a muscle. They just wait and wait for something to happen, for a sign to tell them that the riot is over and that it is safe again to walk in the streets, but as the minutes stretch Allison feels more and more anxious.

Uncle Jeremy must be trying to contact her. She has checked her backpack twice looking for her phone, but it is useless to even try right now. She needs to find him. He will no what to do.

God! She needs her dad. She needs her uncle she needs a grown up to tell her what do to. But there isn’t anyone behind. She needs to trust in herself even when it is difficult to even consider it, after what she did the night before. She has no choice. If the werewolves are somehow involved in all this the town will fall. The police officers won’t be able to stop them. She needs to find Uncle Jeremy before it is too late.

“Lydia” She whispers.

Lydia snaps frightened but Allison grabs her by the shoulders to calm her down. They haven’t heard any more explosions in at least an hour. Maybe it is over. She wishes it is over.

“I will go to take a look and make sure everything is…”

“Are you crazy? What if…”

“Lydia, we need to figure out what is going on and find a way to escape from here”

“But, it is too dangerous”

“I know” Allison nods. “I’ll find my uncle and get his car here to drive us all out of the town to a safe place”

“The town is closed. They won’t let us out”

“If they have guns and explosives they probably have found a way out already” She explains.

“I’ll go with you” Lydia says preparing to stand.

“No” Allison sternly but deep inside she is feeling deeply scared.  She won’t forgive herself if something happens to Lydia too because of her fault. It would be enough to make her lose the last strand of sanity she still has.

“You need to stay here in case Sheryl’s mom comes back. She left you on charge, you need to be strong and keep everyone safe until I come back”

“But…”

“Lydia, please…”

She can’t see it in the utter darkness they are trapped in, yet she knows that Lydia is nodding.

She hugs her friend tight just in case this is the last time and she opens the cape of the dumpster. She jumps out and looks at both sides.

It is clear.

She just hopes it stays the same all way to Uncle Jeremy’s house.

……

Julie falls on her back shrieking furiously as she throws her hands up to grab Melissa by the collar of her shirt.

Melissa pulls back and her shirt tears to shreds. She spins and finds longshot lying on the floor restrained to a chair with ropes as he desperately trying to reach the knife at scarce feet from his hands.

Melissa gets back to Julie who is already standing and kicks her in the head stamping her crown on the floor.

The monster-woman moans and hair starts growing on her face at quick speed.

“Mel!” Simon’s voice makes her shudder.

He is chained to a wall watching the scene with terrified eyes. “Mel, run! Save yourself!” He pleads and it hurts.

He is willing to sacrifice his life for her. But she can’t just leave him here. If she goes now she knows it will be the last time she sees her best friend.

Julie’s shifting is almost done. She keeps whirling on the floor but now she has paws instead of hands and her body is now fully coated with golden hair.

She has no time to lose.

Afraid of giving her back to the growing monster in her back Melissa spins and grabs the knife from the floor. Longshot is her only chance. He almost beat her the first time. Maybe now they can make a difference together.

She cuts the ropes in Longshot’s wrists and he pulls free right on time to face the monster that now lungs after them.

Melissa freezes as she beholds the fanged matt of fur right over them. She can’t move. She can’t think. All she can do is close her eyes and hope it ends quickly.

She feels a palm shoving her. Melissa opens her eyes as she gets a look of longshot sending her away. She crashes against some of the cages and the metallic rattling puts her sense on alert as the creatures inside start moaning and panting. Blood comes from somewhere above her and she sprints to her left in panic.

She tilts her head to her side at the moment Julie’s new form swings a sharp paw to Longshot’s head.

He ducks easily and makes an amazing spin to grab the knife and stab her in the chest.

A high-pitched cry brings Melissa to her edge and she covers her ears to protect herself from the pain. They have been doing so much noise that she can’t understand how is that no one has come to check if everything is alright, someone should be looking for them by now, but…Why they hadn’t come?

“Mel, get out of here!” Longshot urges her as Julie pulls the knife from her chest and a few drops of blood stain her fur before the wound heals itself in matter of seconds.

“Oh my…” Simon’s voice says with terror and amazement.

Melissa is frightened. It is stupid to try to convince herself that she can deal with this situation and think that she can stand a chance against this woman or whatever she is. They can’t overpower her strength, but maybe the numbers can make the difference. Longshot is their luck charm. He is giving her a hard time as he ducks her attacks and stabs her repeatedly all around her body and her wounds heal over and over again.

What is his plan? Is he hoping for her to get tired? If he really knows how dangerous those monster are why he didn’t brought another kind of weapon? Does he really thinks he can stand a chance with only a knife? Then they meet their eyes and she can see the fear in his.

He isn’t trying to kill Julie.

He is trying to gain time for her and she is wasting it.

Melissa looks at the door. There isn’t any doubt that Julie’s guards probably are about to wake up if they hadn’t already. If no one has come for them, it means that something has happened in the hospital or there is a conspiracy with the rest of the staff and everyone already knew about this experiments. Her best choice is the hole through which Longshot came in.

Julie covered it with a slab of metal but she can see part of the dark parking lot in a hole at the sides.

“Mel! Go!” Simon says again and she doesn’t doubt any more.

She is afraid but also determinate to save Simon at least.

She finds her feet and addresses her friend chained to the wall. Melissa tries to ignore the fact that he is just inches away from the massive dark-furred monster attached to the wall too. Though it is impossible if you consider that the thing’s breathing has changed. It is awake though it can’t move due the vial it its arm and whatever Julie is administrating it through it.

“Simon” She breaths out relieved as she grabs his head with her hands and presses her forehead against his.

“Mel, please go. Tell Stiles I love him” He is shaking.

She is shaking.

This can end in matter of seconds. Longshot can’t fight forever despite Julie.

“I won’t leave you here” She mutters. “I’ll get you out”

“I’m chained, Mel. There isn’t a way I…”

“The key” Melissa looks around.

“She has it with herself” Simon says with disappointment. “She put it in her coat after she chained me and there is no…”

“Her clothes” Melissa mutters as a scary moaning at her right puts her on her nerves.

Melissa turns not daring to look at the monster in the wall and she scans the floor looking for Julie’s torn cloths.

When she shape-shifted all her clothes fell apart in shreds and now her coat is lying on the floor along with a shiny object next to what looks like a shredded pocket.

Melissa looks up. Longshot’s exhaustion is starting to get noticed. He isn’t as quick as he was seconds ago, also there is a gash on his arm from where blood is pouring.

“Melissa!” He warns.

Mel grabs the key and hurries to free Simon. As soon as his manacles fall down Simon lungs after Longshot and Julie. Melissa can tell he isn’t sure what he is doing. She can see how frightened he is, probably even more than herself because until this day he hadn’t a clue that monster were real. Yet he is trying to fight. He is trying to save his friend.

“Simon, take Mel and get out of here!” Longshot orders but Simon won’t listen. He climbs to Julie’s back and she starts shaking frantically until he is sent flying to the side and crashes with the cages. The creatures’ cries become even crazier and now a new snarling joins them. One that makes Melissa’s blood run cold.

She looks back and notices that the liquid administrating the drug to the monster is over and it is starting to wake up.

“Simon! We need to get out of here!” She says with desperation as Simon stands and throws and empty cage to Julie who ducks it but gest distracted at the moment Longshot makes her fall on her back and he digs the knife in her head.

The woman rolls on the floor like crazy. Moaning awfully as the blood pours out and she tries to remove the knife from her skull.

Longshot helps Simon to pass over her and they join Melissa in the stretch alley that takes to the parking lot. They dart toward it, but now a knifeless Julie is closing their path.

Melissa steps back frightened. The woman throws her claws at her. Simon and Longshot grab each a paw and they start struggling with her as she fights to get free to slash them to them.

The cries and the confusion gets heavier. The creature right behind them is fully awake now. If only there….

The other syringes! Melissa recalls. They are still in the desk next to the enormous monster.

Simon and Longshot keep fighting, but they won’t make it. Julie is stronger, she is going to kill them.

Without thinking twice Melissa approaches the table and grabs one of the syringes.

Julie knocks Simon to the side and breaks free to stab Longshot right when Melissa stings her with the drug and she falls unconscious almost instantly.

Longshot starts panting as he catches his breath. Melissa pulls Simon up and they exchange glances. The three sweaty friends join before Julie’s now human body on the floor.

Simon is catatonic. He doesn’t even speak when Longshot asks him if his car is in the parking lot.

He only nods.

“I need to take her a place where I can interrogate her” Longshot explains. “Can I have your car?”

Simon nods again and Melissa feels tears burning in her eyes. She wishes she can do something for him. Find a way to wake him, but what?

It isn’t necessary after all, because right when the men grab Julie’s body an awful noise as if a wall is being tore apart makes them startle and when they spin Melissa realizes that she is right.

The beast freed itself.

…….

It is amazing how everything changed in a couple of hours. Allison feels like she is living in a Hollywood movie, or worse. In one of the scariest nightmares of all.

As she walks toward Uncle Jeremy’s home, she spots corpses. She is afraid of looking at the faces of realizing that those limp bodies once were someone’s father and mother. There are also teenagers. Without wanting to, she recognizes a freshmen guy from school with a broken arm and a bullet wound right between his eyes. His glasses are askew and the blood pools half the street.

He was very smart. Now one he is just part of number of deaths of that day.

It is beyond upsetting. She wants to puke, to cry, to kick something and runaway.

If only her dad was with her. Where is he? Is he still alive? Why he hadn’t stop the wolves yet? Does he has something to do with this uprising?

“You! Identify yourself?” A voice says suddenly and Allison’s heart sinks as she spins quickly.

Right in front of her is another officer. He is a young man of twenty-five maybe thirty years old. He is aiming with his gun at her.

“I….My name is Allison. I’m a high school student”  

“What are you doing here?” He asks sternly without lowering his gun.

“I…I’m trying to get back home” She says frightened as she steps back trying to look for a place to hide. “I’m not with the people who did all this. I swear”

The man sighs and lowers his gun. “I am really sorry if I scared you. It isn’t safe for you to be…” Those are his last words.

A bullet comes through his skull and he falls on his knees. Blood comes out of his mouth and he is dead.

Allison lets out a sharp cry and she starts running away as she fights her urgency to throw herself in the floor.

“Little girl” A frightening voice says far behind her and she trips.

She scraps her knee but she stands quickly and resumes her flee without daring to look back.

It is just like last night when Scott chased her in the darkness. Maybe she is still asleep. Maybe this is just nightmare, but why she doesn’t wake up them?

“Come on little girl! I just want to say hi!” The crazy voice keeps saying.

Just a couple of streets away a chanting hums. People are gathering again. It will be a bloodbath. She just needs to get away from this man and get to Uncle Jeremy’s home before it is too late.

“Come on little girl! I just want to protect you!”

“I don’t need protection!” She roars furiously as the tears run down her cheek.

“All defenseless girls need someone’s protection!”

“I’m not defenseless. You better stay away from or…”

“Or what?” She doesn’t see him come. He was hiding inside a sacked store with broken glasses and right behind him there are two more men.

Allison steps back and spins to get in the other direction just to find out that her first harasser has already addressed her.

They are holding guns. They are dirty, they are bloody. They are starving and they are crazy.

“I’m hungry. I just wanna a taste of tender meat” The first chaser says with a disgusting grin.

“S…Stay away” Allison stutters.

“Or what?” The other one asks again as he surrounds her from behind with his arms.

Allison let out a high pitched moan and then a building at her right comes down as a house of cards swept by the wind. Concrete pieces fly in all directions as a cloud of dust covers everything and the man releases her frightened and they squat back from the crumbling of the building.

It wasn’t an explosion. It was her. She knows it. She is getting worse every day. Her skills are coming out of control.

When it is over a hand comes flying to clamp her mouth, but Allison spots it right at time. Now she recalls that she indeed isn’t a defenseless little girl, but probably the scariest thing in this town.

She turns and the man stops short to look at her determination with a crooked smile. “What? Are you going to fight back? Why we can’t never do it in the easy way?”

Allison snorts. “You better get out of your way if you don’t want to die”

“You got to be kid….”

He can’t finish his sentence because her anger is burning very bright inside her to contain it. And now his pants are burning too.

He throws himself on the floor and starts rolling asking for help urgently and the other approach to help him.

“I guess you won’t rape anyone ever again” Allison says with despise and walks way.

When the first chaser tries to stop her his hand turns into stone and it falls apart as blood starts pouring from his wrist and he begs for help.

His cries haunts her. She knows she just did an awful thing. She couldn’t control what happened but she wanted something like that to make them pay. Yet she feels guilty and scared of the town, and the people within, but worst of all…Scared of herself.

Two streets later she finds his house. When she can’t spot his car terror sweeps her because she can’t have idea of where else he might be in the town, and she doesn’t have her phone with her.

When she approaches and finds the door ajar she knows look for him is useless.

He is not coming back.

…….

As soon as he spots the flooding of people he knows that something is not right.

He doesn’t like hospitals. The stench to rot and death is hard to bear inside and even when he is used to the scent of blood it is way worse inside those places. Today it is whole new level of horror.

It is so disgusting to feel, to breath and he hasn’t come inside yet. He knows it will get even worse once he is inside.

His phone rings.

  1. He thinks with concern.



When he tugs it out of his pocket he is not mistaken. He is fearing the worst.

Something happened inside that hospital and if Stiles’ father was in there, there is a big chance…He can’t even consider it. It would kill him to tell Stiles that something happened to his father.

“Hey” He says casually as he brings the phone to his ear and takes a look to the façade of the building.

“Are you there already? Did you find my dad?” Stiles says calmly, but Derek knows better. He has known him long enough, he has sniffed, watched and heard to every inch of him.

He heard faltering in his voice right in the last syllable.

He clears his throat. “I just got here” Explains quietly.

“I think something is wrong, Derek. I think I heard shots ten minutes ago”

Derek curses. He thought the shots were far away from Stiles’ home and yet he heard them, which means that whatever is happening in town is bigger than Derek thought and also is moving faster than he expected.

“There is nothing to worry about” He affirms though he knows Stiles will tell his lying. “I’ll get inside now. Stay inside the house no matter what. I’ll get back as soon as I find your dad. Alright?”

“I should have come with you”

“It’s okay. I’ll be there in a minute. Try to draw a line around your bed just in case and close all the doors. Understood?”

“I’m not ten years old Derek I…”

“Just do it”

“Alright”

“Bye”

Derek shoves the phone back in his pocket and opens the door. As he expects something is not right.

The waiting room is empty.

His heart hammers and he speeds to the lobby hoping to find someone behind the counter, but there is no luck.

It is almost as if everyone has been evacuated.

“Hello?” He says aloud.

He knows there are humans hiding in here. Even with the overwhelming stench to rotten blood, he can feel the life hiding somewhere inside there. Shivering with fear, but alive.

“Hello?” He repeats but there isn’t response.

He tries to change the strategy. “I’m looking for Dr. Stilinski”

Again no response.

He loses his patience and walks to the nurse’s room just a couple of feet away from the emergency corridor.

Is empty, or at least that is what the woman and the young man inside want him to believe. He has no time for this. Stiles is alone at home.

He goes straight to the large cabinet at the bottom of the room and yanks the door.

A woman on her forties or so and a young man hold to each other as they close their eyes and start sobbing.

“What happened here?” Derek asks concerned.

The woman and the boy slowly stop sobbing and break free to look at Derek. “People…People came in with guns” The woman squeals. “They are taking the city”

“How many are they?” Derek rolls his eyes.

“We don’t know” The boy says with sharp breathing. “We just saw three, but I don’t know many can be”

“Do you have any idea where they went?”

They shake their heads. “There…There was a lot of noise in the morgue ten minutes ago. Maybe they went there”

“Have you seen Dr. Stilinski?”

The both nodded. “I think he went home, two hours ago”

_No, he didn’t._

“Thank you” He finishes and the walks slowly to the door.

Once outside he runs without losing any more time. There is an uprising in the town. A dangerous group is murdering people and it will be just a matter of time for a bloodbath to start. Damian will probably get involved.

He needs to find Stile’s father.

No one comes out even though he makes a lot of noise as he strides to approach the morgue. There he catches his scent and not just his, a werewolf’s, and Scott’s mother.

Why?

He climbs down to the basement following his nose. When he turns left, he finds a long and dark corridor. The scent of two types of blood put him on alert, however he calms down when he notices that is wolf blood what he is smelling.

He swings a metal door open and he finds it. Some kind of laboratory of what is left of it. The steam that comes out of one of the machines difficult his vision and clouds his nose, yet he can still feel Stiles father and Scott mother’s scents.

Below he can spot the corpses of the werewolves he smelt before coming inside along with the ones of three human men that carried gunshots, the people in the hospital is safe, or so he hopes, because…

There are cages on the floor, along with blood and pus. They were occupied recently. Actually Derek can see limb bodies of half-animal half-human creatures. Many died, but he can tell that at least two are still alive, somewhere but they won’t last much longer.

And finally, if it isn’t by the blood-freezing snarl he would have mistaken one of the scents with just another half-breed.

A Wendigo.

It is right here, and it went out through that massive hole in the wall right in front of Derek’s nose.

…….

It hurts.

 _Damn it._ Thinks Scott as the bullet pops out of his arm and the wound starts cleaning and healing within seconds.

“At least there is a good thing about being a monster” He says sadly as he drags the unconscious woman who shot him to a safe place inside a store’s bathroom.

He catches her scent again right when he closes the door behind him.

She isn’t far. She must be really stressed if he can still feel her with all the smoke and cinders.

He jogs for her.

He can’t believe what he is doing. After he swore he would murder her if he saw her again, Scott is desperately trying to find her because Stiles asked him to.

He should have stayed with him instead to keep him safe, to make sure their house doesn’t get robbed. He can’t believe he really came after all what Allison did.

And here he is. Trying to find the girl he once loved.

He is happy.

Stiles is alive.

Stiles is alive! He can’t believe he really is. He knows he needs to cry. There is some much Scott has been holding back for so long, and now he needs to cry to relieve himself, but there isn’t time for such. Things are really messed up right now.

He listens to some shots just a street away from him and his feet falter. He would like to get back and help. People are dying, people he used to see every day, they went crazy, but he must find Allison to get back to Stiles as soon as possible.

Is his mom with the officer’s trying to stop the riot? He ran into two cops’ corpses. It wasn’t her of course, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t feeling concerned. He needs to talk to her.

There she is.

Her scent has grown so strong now that there is no doubt she is inside that loft at his left. He is happy she never used the perfumes he bought for her.

Scott approaches the ajar door and slides it open as her sobbing startles him.

It is an empty apartment. Clearly it was occupied recently but whoever lived here just moved out. Who did she expect to find here?

“Allison” He says sternly. Not letting her tears to get him. He knows better.

She jumps on her feet startled and cranes her neck toward him.

“S…Scott?” As soon as her eyes meet his she steps back desperate as if trying to run away from him, but the wall doesn’t let her go too far.

“I won’t hurt you” He affirms not so sure of his words.

She isn’t either.

“What are you doing here?”

She looks around with swollen eyes and clears her throat. “I…I came to see my uncle”

Scott doesn’t even blink. “Your uncle isn’t real. It was a set up made by your dad and Dr. D to get out of the foster house”

She shakes her head. “Not that one. My real uncle. The literature Professor. Uncle Jeremy”

The….What? Something shudders inside him.

“You have family hiding here and you didn’t say anything?” He takes a deep breath and clears his mind. He should have known that she was hiding something. “Never mind. It is none of my business. Stiles wants to talk to you”

She rises a stirring hand and touches the other as if trying to find something. “S…Stiles? Stiles wants to see me?”

Scott nods. “He lived”

She swallows. “I know. I felt him this morning”

Scott rises a brow. “You felt him? What is wrong with you too? What are you hiding from me?”

“I…” She hesitates. Even when he is making an effort to not throw himself over her and chop her head out, she doesn’t look very convinced of it. She won’t stop looking for a way out. “I don’t know, Scott. I swear I can’t remember hurting him. I never would do such horrible thing”

“I saw you shoot that arrow”

“I can’t deny it and I can’t excuse myself. I deserve anything you want to do with me. The only thing I ask is the chance to tell Stiles that I’m really sorry for hurting him”

He won’t fall in her game, but he has to admit that she is a good actress. “As I said. I didn’t came to hurt you Allison. He just wanted to make sure you went safe to his home”

She snorts and for the first time since their conversation started. Allison chuckles. Almost as she used to. “Safe? Safe of what? I have small memories of last night? The only thing anyone in this world should feel afraid of is me! I’m a fucking monster!”

Suddenly it hurts. It hurts even harder that the bullet wound in his arm. How ironic that he looks like a monster and yet he isn’t, but she….The both are quite the opposite. The former Scott would say that she isn’t a monster, he would hold her, he would say that everything is fine, but the older Scott almost died last night along with his best friend, and now that remaining little piece of him will only care about his mom and Stiles.

“Feel sorry all you want. I don’t care. Are you coming or not?”

Allison looks at the windows and then at the door at Scott’s back. She knows and the concrete and debris rain over them.

Its sharp cry cuts Scott deep inside.

Allison cries and falls on her back bathed in dust and concrete. It slashes the air from side to side to finish breaking the wall and find its way in.

Its mad eyes, moving in all directions, the snots mixing with the saliva in its snout pouring on the floor as the hole in the wall begins to stretch as the creaking grows louder.

No Scott notices it! The Wendigo hasn’t even noticed his presence yet. It won’t take its attention away from Allison. It wants her.

“Run!” Scott yells as the monster breaks in.

Scott turns to see Allison get out as the monster lungs after her.

Scott throws a piece of wall to its head and it draws its attention to him. Without losing time Scott jumps and kicks it in the chest.

The Wendigo falls on its back and quickly stands up again slashing the air toward Scott with its sharp long claws.

Scott dodges left, right, left. He needs to shift or else he be able to even hurt it.

He finds an opening right after one slash and he kicks again. The Wendigo grows matter and tries to stab him again with his claws. Scott ducks, jumps and balls his hands to punch it with all its strength. The Wendigo rises with of its arms to protect itself and the snapping makes Scott shiver as the beast squeals painfully and falls to the side.

Scott gaps and stares at his hands openmouthed

He listens another snarl and everything becomes dark before he finishes turning on his heels.

…….

Did we lose it? Melissa asks looking back through the rearview mirror.

There is a large cloud of smoke right behind them, so it makes it difficult for her to make anything out.

“I can’t hear it anymore” Longshot nods as he takes the curve.

“What the hell is going on in the town?” She bits her lips and keeps looking at the devastation.

Empty streets, smoke, bullets caskets spread on the concrete, glass. It is like driving on an action movie set.

“Aparently there is some kind of uprising. A woman told me some citizens decided to take control over the city”

 _I should be out there._ She thinks with remorse.

“Scott…”

“I’m sure he can take care of himself and Allison. Mel. I really need you to do this for me. Once I get her into a safe place I’ll leave you alone. I promise” Longshot assures as he doubles again and hits the gas.

“Quick down!” He suddenly says as they run into an armed group that starts firing from all directions.

Melissa’ heart gives a lurch and she holds back her tears as she the bangs come from left, right and back and all the windows in Simon’s car explode.

“Simon!” Melissa says not daring to look back.

“Argh!” Longshot roars as he goes faster and faster and the shots being to fade.

“Simon!” Melissa repeats.

“He is alright. He is just still in shock” Longshot affirms with his eyes still fixed on the road.

Melissa releases her nape and straightens to slowly start to take the pieces of glass from her clothes.

She sucks a breath and looks ahead as the wind and smoke hit her. Then she looks back.

Simon is lying in the back seat with his eyes fixed on the car’s ceiling.

The shots should have put him alert, but he still looks frozen in time, he hasn’t even moved a muscle to take the glass shards from his chest and pants.

He is starting to scare her.

“He will be fine” Longshot replies casually as if he is used to this kind of situation.

“How can you be so calm?” Melissa asks upset.

There is a short silence, then Longshot parts his lips. “My…Life used to be like this every day”  

“What?” Melissa lets out shocked. Of course she knows Longshot is up to something, but she didn’t know how much involved he was in all this crap.

“When?” She asks more curious than anything else as Longshot suddenly takes the way into the forest and continues driving.

The fresh and the calmness of the forest make Melissa feel like the past hour never happened, as if it was just part of some kind of dream.

“When we were kids”

She gaps. “How? You…You were some kind of…How did you get time to….How is that…?”

He chuckles and suddenly stops the car. “We need to move her now. Listen, we will need to carry her somewhere not so far from here. There might be people awaiting for me, if anyone shows up you will run away. Okay?”

Melissa freezes. “What…What about Simon?”

“He can’t even move. Maybe it will be better if he stays in the car. It will take us just a couple of minutes to get there, once I get her in a safe place I’ll walk you back to the car and you will drive away as fast as you can”

Everything is fast. Fast means no time for explanations and Melissa can’t just….

“No one is going anywhere until someone gives an explanation of what is going on here”

His voice reassures her. Melissa smirks pleased to see that Simon is able to construct sentences again, however her smile fades as soon as she spots the long piece of place he is clutching against Longshot’s neck.

“Si…”

“It’s okay, Mel” Longshot snorts.

“Don’t mock of me Christopher” Simon warns.

“I’m not doing it, Simon. I’m just impressed you still got strength enough to fight”

“I need answers”

“I’ll give them to you, but you must understand that it is not safe to stay here. I can tell you everything once we get there”

“I will hear it in our way there or you won’t leave this car”

“Simon, please”

“How can you trust him?” Simon demands looking at her with mad eyes. "Did you see what he was capable of? Did you hear what he was talking with that…Woman?”

Melissa nods.

“Then how…”

“It doesn’t matter now. If she wakes up we are all dead, if someone comes looking for her, we are all dead. They got sharp noses and even sharper ears” Longshot explains.

He is in full control even when his life is danger and a drop of blood streams down his neck. Also Melissa can notice now that there is bullet wound on his left arm which has already soaked part of it. How does he manages to stay so calm?

Yeah, he looks tired, there are hollows on his eyes. He is all muddy and scrawny, but yet, it is clear that he is just letting Simon believe he is the one giving the orders. Maybe he just doesn’t want to hurt his feelings. Or maybe he wants to save time. He used to be a cocky bastard back at school after all.

“Simon, listen to him. He wants the best for all of us”

“How is that he is suddenly alive? Didn’t he die when his house exploded?”

“Those were two good friend of mine. I’m really sorry but I have no time for this” Simon says sternly and in a blink the piece of glass is on Longshot’s hand and now he is offering it to Melissa.

“He and I will carry her there, use this to protect yourself if anything goes wrong. Always aim to the necks, they can’t grow another head”

Melissa nods.

They climb down and a humiliated and still pale Simon helps Longshot to retrieve the limp naked body from the trunk.

“They will catch her scent soon, so we must be fast. Alright?” Longshot warns.

Melissa and Simon nod and both men run into the thick forest carrying the body as Melissa follows them and looks around gripping the piece of glass tight afraid of what might be lurking in the shadows.

Longshot guides them to the lake, or at least that is what Melissa thinks at first, but then they climb down the slope and he heads toward the tiny hole in the rock and she shivers. She recognizes that place. It is the same cave where Scott hid her along with Longshot’s daughter months ago.

“Why are we coming here?” Melissa mutters as they crouch to get inside.

“They can’t smell you here” He explains as he points ahead into the darkness and Melissa notices some shimmer.

Finally they get to the point of crawling, and then Longshot shows them a secret path hidden underwater. He explains them that Julie will be extremely heavy underwater and he is feeling quite weak to carry her with him, so Simon agrees to go with him without even saying a word.

Melissa swims right behind them and she can scarcely see anything but the shapes moving and feeling the water rippling around. Finally when she thinks they are about to drown. They pull up and they find themselves shivering inside a very short crate.

Longshot places Julie on the floor and then turns toward them.

“What was that thing in the laboratory?” Simon quickly asks looking at Longshot straight in the eye.

He rolls his eyes. “It is a mythological creature, created by her” He points at Julie. “And a desperate man named Damian”

“What is she?”

“A werewolf” Melissa lets out before noticing it was her who talked.

Simon turns toward her shocked. “A…werewolf-werewolf? Like…Like in the movies?”

Longshot clears his throat. “Actually the ones in the movies are based on this ones. Vanhellsing? He did existed, though the movies and stories based on his life are quite inaccurate” 

Simon takes a deep breath to process everything. “You knew about this?” He turns toward Mel.

She sighs. “Partially”

“I can’t believe that....”

“The good news is that there is no virus at all”

“Thanks to you” Longshot smiles a bit startled.

“So…You were right. It wasn’t a virus isn’t it? She was making experiments on humans” Simon looks at Melissa embarrassed and angry. “Why you didn’t say anything?”

“Because I wasn’t sure I was right, and because you wouldn’t believe me” She replies hurt.

Simon holds her sight for a second and then his expression softens.

“You should get back to your kids” Longshot points out.

“He is right Simon, something awful is happening in the town. Stiles must be concerned about you”

Simon turns toward Longshot. “What about you? You have a girl. Why did you fake your dead and abandoned it?”

Longshot rolls his eyes.

“I have no time for this” Longshot replies drily. “I need to get rid of that thing we let out before it murders half a town”

Melissa gaps. “Are you insane? That thing will kill you if you…”

“I’ll be fine. I killed one last night” Longshot says casually.

Melissa and Simon freeze. She knows Simon is doing his best to keep a hold on himself, but she also can notice his stirring and how he tickles every seven seconds. He is in some kind of state of shock, it is better if she gets in out of all this.

“Simon, let’s go home” Melissa mumbles gripping his hand.

He jolts and turns toward her, he looks a bit more like himself now, but there is still something in him that makes her feel concerned.

“You need to sleep. Stiles must be concerned about you”

He nods.

She is happy to see he accede, though probably she must thank the state on which he is right now. He still needs to process all what she have seen and learn in the past day, also. She is pretty sure that as soon as he wakes up. He will start making questions.

She just hopes it happens in at least another three days, because that is probably the amount of time she is planning in staying in bed.

If the town isn’t set on fire first. Of course.

…….

The minutes stretch, and Stiles can’t stay quiet. He thinks and tosses, tries to get asleep and gives up.  He goes to the bathroom and almost chokes by the pain.

He takes a look at his chest, once, twice, but it still deep purple all around the place where his heart is supposed to be.

It hurts and itch.

He has reviewed everything he lived the night before over and over and still can’t get the missing pieces of his memories that somehow he forgot.

He starts from the moment the wolves show up and the next thing he recalls is the pain in his chest.

He starts again but there is no luck apart from Scott calling his name.

Rain.

Nothing else.

The sun is about to set, there aren’t any news from Scott, though he knows that Allison is scared somewhere. He can’t see or hear much, though he knows that somehow he would be capable if it wasn’t by the fact he feeling very weak right now.

He recalls that someone mentioned something about phones not working, though he has called Derek without any issue, which means that either the communications in town have been reestablished, or he isn’t as weak as he thinks.

If he only could control his weird powers, he could heal faster, help Derek find his dad, get Allison to a safe place and find Dylan.

Where is Dylan? Why Isaac and Jackson haven’t called yet?

Maybe he should check them.

He takes his phone and dials Jackson’s number.

He instantly picks up. “Finally! We have been trying to call you for hours!” Jackson says relieved.

“Really? I haven’t get any message from you”

“Maybe they finally reestablished the service”

“Maybe it was me” Stiles points out listlessly.

“How? Did you find the way?”

 _I’m not sure._ “Did you find him?”

“No, buddy. Sorry. We were trying to call you to get a clue of where you think he might be”

“I don’t know I just…” His voice trails off. He hoped Jackson and Isaac would be able to find Dylan.

 _Where are you Dylan?_ He thinks with disappointment.

“Stiles? Are you there?”

“Yeah. I’m here” He replies taking a look through his window. Derek isn’t here yet. Maybe… “Guys…What is going on outside?”

“Oh…Umm… There is some kind of uprising. People are fighting each other. There….There is a lot of dead people. Mostly cops”

Stiles shudders. “Is…Is Scott mom’s okay?”

“Well, we haven’t seen her body, so it must be a good sign”

 _Jesus!_ “What about your family? Are they okay?”

“I…Guess so”

 _Oh my god! I’ve been so selfish._ “Jackson. I’m sorry. You should go home and check and that everyone is okay”

“It’s fine, Stiles. Really”

Of course Stiles can tell he is being polite. “It is okay. No one would ever hurt a little kid”

He hopes.

“Just go home. You can keep searching when everything has settled down”

“Okay. I’ll see you later”

Stiles clutches his chest and gasps. “Dylan where are you?” He thinks with frustration and presses his eyes shut.

“Noooo” His voice makes him jolt.

Stiles blinks and stares at the darkness in his room. How…How did it get so dark so suddenly?

“Noooo”

“Dylan!” He cries aloud hoping to reach him with his voice wherever he is.

There is no response.

“Dylan where are you?” He lets out harder and now he pants and the end when the pain in his chest is more than what he bear.

“Noooo, I wanna see my mommy”

It is him. There is no doubt.

“Dylan!”

There is no time to lose. He can feel Dylan’s voice fading with every passing second. Wherever he is, he is moving and fast.

Stiles gets out of bed, and gets out of his room in pajamas. He isn’t strong enough to change his clothes, and bending to tie his shoes is definitely not an option.

“Mommy”

“Dylan”

He runs down the stairs following the faint track of the boy’s voice that lingers inside him as if carved in his mind.

“Dylan where are you?” He says loudly when he closes the front door behind him.

The streets are dark and lonely. None of the house in the surroundings have their lights on, except for his.

Dylan’s cries keep drilling inside his brain and make him look around hoping to be able to find him, but there is no luck. There isn’t another explanation. Stiles is listening to Dylan in his head. Somehow his abilities are helping him to find Dylan. Maybe if he focuses hard enough on him….

Dylan has blond long wavy hair, he is very short, big round blue eyes and he is always hungry, he is always hungry.

Stiles closes his eyes shut in the middle of the street.

He smells to dirt, crayons and ketchup and he likes to make forts to hide from…Monsters.

His ears get clogged, and he feels a pull right inside him as if he is being sucked by a small whole. Suddenly the world is spinning and his skin is melting and expanding all around him. He feels like he is about to puke, but then as suddenly as it starts, it is over.

He falls on his chest and lets out a gasp right when his wound crashes against a twig and his face stamps the soft muddy ground.

Stiles kneels to slowly stand up but the pain is more than he can bear. He falls again and the pain is even heavier, he cries and then another cry joins his.

“Stiles” Cries Dylan from below the oak at fifty feet from Stiles as two woman try to drag him to the a rocky formation in the middle of the woods, where a tall and hidden in the dark shape with glowing green eyes awaits.

…….

“Scott”

“Scott”

He rolls and feels a coppery taste in the back of his throat.

“Wake up” He urges him.

Scott feels a pair of hands lifting his torso until he is sitting.

He has a broken rib. He can feel how the bone is slightly moving into its position to magically repair itself. It hurts, but it will be just a couple of minutes until it fades.

He is getting used to it.

“Are you okay?” The voice says.

“Allison?” Scott mumbles. He knows it isn’t Allison, he just wants to know if she escaped, but his words won’t come out that easily.

“She isn’t here” Derek forces Scott’s eyes to open and he peers inside them. “Can you walk?”

“Yeah” Scott pants. “Just, give me a minute”

He puts a hand on Derek’s shoulder and slowly begins to rise while his broken rib digs inside him and makes him gasp.

When he is finally up, the pain is gone.

“Much better” Scott sighs with relief. “Why it didn’t kill me?” He frowns.

“Apparently he was most interested in something else”

 _Allison._ “Where is she?”

“She ran away” Derek replies gritting his teeth. Scott used to think that Derek felt he owed something to Allison, but now…

“You saw what happened and didn’t try to stop that thing?” Scott grumbles and looks around.

The whole apartment is gone. They are standing in the dusty foundations of what used to be an apartment.

“It isn’t like other Wendigos. It came from a lab in the hospital’s morgue, is faster and stronger than regular Wendigos”

Scott’s stomach plunges down. “Are you kidding? We still aren’t strong enough to kill a regular one”

Derek rolls his eyes annoyed. “It was hard to follow it and got late here, right after she left and it knocked you out”

“Her blood. It is following her because of her scent” Scott realizes with concern.

Derek nods. “That’s the only explanation I can find. It is just like the last time, when you almost died”

Scott holds his breath. It feels like it passed in another life. Somehow things managed it to get messier every new day.

“We need to stop it” He says concerned. “People are killing each other in the streets, if that thing gets involved…”

“There isn’t much we can do” Derek replies annoyed. “We are powerless against it, and if the humans discover…”

“Do you really think they will care what we are when they see that thing in the streets?”

“Damn it” Derek lets out frustrated. “If we go after it and people see us and the word spreads, they will come and then there will be a bloodbath”

“Who?”

“The people who murdered my family”

“Oh” Scott sighs. “What…What…”

“You are right, there is no other option. Everyone will die if we don’t do something quick. Maybe if we go as wolves no one will think that we are…”

“Stiles” Scott suddenly says as he feels his best friend’s scent in the air.

“What?” Derek frowns.

“Derek! What the hell is Stiles doing here?”

Derek’s neck jerks to the side quickly as his nose hastily looks for the source of the scent that Scott just felt. After a few seconds he suddenly stops and he pales.

“No” He mutters with eyes wide open.

“I thought he was at home! I thought he was weak and couldn’t move! What the hell is he doing here and…?”

“Go after Allison. Get the Wendigo as busy as you can. I’ll go after Stiles” Derek orders.

“Are you sure that…”

“We have no time to lose, they both are in danger, Scott” Derek mutters with shaky voice and then he is gone.

…….

Again she is running for her life in the darkness while she is chased by a furred monster. It seems like she is trapped in time.

 _Scott_. She thinks with concern. Is he dead?

No he can’t be. Though does it matter know? Even if he is alive he will never forget her for what she has done.

It screeches and its steps grow closer and closer.

Allison looks over her shoulder and it lungs faster after her.

She cries and gets her face back on the road right in the moment she hits her forehead against a lamppost.

She gasps as the pain comes through her and overwhelms her, she shrieks and tears run down her cheeks.

“Stay away from me!” She yells desperately and the creature stops short it looks back and its leg move back and forth. All its muscles are tensed as it is trying to break an invisible wall that erected right inside it.

It is strangling against Allison’s command.

“Go away! Please go away!” She begs and it breaks free.

She yelps and stands. “Burn you monster! Burn!” She says without looking back, and the way the night suddenly lights up, she can make out that the creature is surrounded by flames now.

Allison keeps running just in case it wasn’t enough to stop it, and she is right. It starts moving again. The bouncing of the light casting a shadow in front of her leaves her breathless. It is indestructible

The longer her shadow is, the nearer her death lurks at her back.

“Burn, keep burning!”  She says aloud and the creature snarls louder and its voice turns sharper and more hurtful, but it keeps moving. As if it didn’t care about living as long as it murders her.

Allison can hear shots just a street away, there is a large amount of people in there. Apparently the final battle for the town’s future is taking place right below her nose.

She knows it is dangerous to expose people in the town to such monster, but maybe they can help her. Maybe a rain of bullets can finally put the Wendigo to sleep and free her from it, and maybe even if everyone works together to finish the creature the uprising might come to an end.

She turns in the corner and runs to the other side of the street, dashes through the ally and parts her lips.

“Help! Please help!” She cries as loud as she can. However no one can listen to her when she turns, because a very loud voice just muffled her cries, the shots and any other sound in the town.

“Everybody, drop your weapons. The fight is over” The voice of woman booms from all directions at once.

Allison looks up trying to find a speaker hanging in the building at her left but there is nothing.

“Everybody, drop your weapons. The fight is over”

She turns the corner and finds herself walking into the city hall’s street. But…That is impossible, the city hall should be at the other side of the town.

She turns back, and the Wendigo is gone.

“Everybody, drop your weapons. The fight is over” The voice repeats anew.

Allison forgets about the Wendigo and focuses on the city hall and gaps.

A sea of people is standing right before the city hall. Citizens and police officers alike. Everyone is standing upright looking at something at the doors of the city hall.

Allison is so far behind that she can see what it is.

  “Everybody, drop your weapons. The fight is over” Again the voice booms, but then adds something else. “The access to the city and all the services have been reestablished”

  “Everybody, drop your weapons. The fight is over. The food is already reaching the stores and everything will be get back to normal in the morning”

“Ex…Excuse me” Allison touches the shoulder of a woman next to her. “But she doesn’t seem like listening to her. Her eyes are fixed up front”

  “Everybody, drop your weapons. The fight is over. Go home now and rest”

As soon as those words are said, the say of men, women and…

“Lydia!” Allison says relieved when she spots her friend in the middle of the crowd turning along with the rest.

“Lydia!” She repeats.

  “Everybody, drop your weapons. The fight is over. Go home now and rest”

Allison turns. _I must go home._ She thinks with tiredness. And then she shakes her head.

“Lydia I’m here!”

 _I am so tired. I want to go home._ She thinks again, but it feels odd. She is tired, but she wants to talk to Lydia. _No. Go home._

 _A binding._ She realizes now.

“S…Stiles?” She says aloud. “Are you here Stiles?” She says looking around as more and more people passes by her, on their way back home.

 _Go home._ Her mind urges her. _Go home._

 _I have nowhere to go._ She replies to herself.

“Everybody, drop your weapons. The fight is over. Go home now and…”

She can’t make out the last part of the sentence, because it is cut by a sharp and long snarl that makes her blood run cold.

Allison looks back and there it is.

The Wendigo.

Or what is left of it.

It isn’t on fire anymore, most part of its fur is gone, leaving large reddish bulbs exposed. The left side of its head is completely burnt and she can see a hanging eye and the gums where its snout used to be.

“Run!” Allison cries terrified.

 _Go home._ Her mind forces her to think again.

 _No. I have to get Lydia out of here_.

“Lydia!” She yells pushing people aside as she lungs after her friend who keeps walking following the rest.

“Lydia! I’m here! Lydia!”

Yet. Lydia won’t pay attention.

She turns back, everything is quiet. Except for the Wendigo slathering the people that walks out of the street, but there isn’t mayhem, no one tries to escape from the beast that murders from left to right with its eyes fixed on…

Her.

It wants her. If Allison really wants to keep Lydia and everyone else safe, she has to get out of here.

She wipes the tears from her cheek and pulls out of the multitude and sprints toward the dark Alley at her right. It doesn’t take long for the monster to approach her.

Allison balls her hands and keeps running as she feels it’s breathing on her neck. What the hell is she going to do? She can’t run forever.

And it seems like her legs were hearing that last thought, because her knees bend and she falls knocking her forehead with the dusty ground.

She tries to stand but her legs won’t move, instead she turns and faces the monster.

She swallows.

“What the hell is that?” The voice from a girl says from above. 

“Who cares?” I’m gonna kill it. A boy’s voice crackles in laugh and Allison hears shots.

Someone grabs her from behind Allison tries to fight to break free.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You are safe now”

Allison gasps and looks up.

Dark-skinned girl with curly her is holding her. She is wearing a tight black swimsuit and is helping Allison to stand.

“Rick are you sure you can beat that thing?” She asks as she moves Allison to the left corner.

“Are you kidding? There isn’t living thing that…”

“Rick! Are you okay?” Another girls’ voice says from Allison’s left.

“Look at me” The dark skinned girl holds Allison’s chin to force her look into her eyes. “Do you have something broken? Can you walk?”

Allison nods. “I’m okay”

“Good. Because you are in a peaceful place. You are lying in a meadow with a bright blue sky…”

Suddenly all the noise, the shouts and the fear vanishes.

The sun is so bright that itches, and the grass tickles Allison’s bare soles. She tosses to the side and she feels a steady hand caressing her hair.

She is so happy right now. She was concerned before….

“No!” She cries aloud and everything fades.

She is the Ally being held by the dark skinned girl and right in front of her the Wendigo is slashing right to left, trying to hit a tall pale boy who wears a black swimsuit and jumps from wall to wall kicking the beast and shooting at it, while a group conformed by boys and girls from Allison’s age stare.

“Stop being so cocky Ricky we got things to do” Someone complains among them.

“Alright, alright I’ll finish it”

“That’s what you said twenty minutes ago” Another voice.

“Who…Who are you?” Allison asks gasping.

The dark skinned girl chews her bottom lip. “I’m…”

“Alana move your ass here!” Rick’s voice says from ahead.

“What? You can’t beat him though guy?”

“It…The bullets doesn’t hurt it!” Rick complains.

“Let us!” Two voices say at once and Allison gets a speck of hands moving fast and listens to a low humming and then a flame the size of a hand jumps from the two figures and attaches to the Wendigo Skin.

The monster screeches and slashes, lighting itself off and sending the group to the side.

They crash on the floor and now Allison can feel its eyes on her.

Her stomach plunges down.

“Alana!” Rick yells standing up.

“I’m coming!” The girl complains and stands.

“Wait!” The blond girl on the floor says. “She is awake! She is seeing everything!”

“It doesn’t matter, she will forget it anyway!” Rick says annoyed.

The blond girl throws something in the air a long whip curls around the Wendigo’s throat, tightening with every movement it makes. Yet it doesn’t immobilize it long.

“Alana?” Rick says again.

“I’m trying!” Alana replies moody and Allison looks at her. She is kneeling next to her scanning a book at high speed. “I looked all the sections, I’m not sure what it might be”

“Maybe is a fourer” One of them say.

“Don’t be stupid! A fourer doesn’t walks on hinge legs, and look at its face and how it acts! That thing doesn’t have a brain”

“Oh really! Mr. Six on? Since when you ate all the books in the library?”

“I’m just saying. That thing isn’t a werewolf!”

“Can you just shut up and help me? I can’t hold it back anymore!” The blond girl complains.

“Ok. Ok” The two voices of before reply at once and now Allison can see arrows coming from a broken wall in the side of the building.

“Maybe if we all attack at once!” Rick proposes.

Gunshots and strings, bangs and clacks coming from all directions. Allison covers her face to protect herself.

“It’s okay. They can’t hurt you while I’m here with you” Alana says with her eyes still focused on her book. “No luck guys! There is nothing in here!”

“What the hell are we going to do?” The blond girl says gripping her whip the best she can but Allison can see she is losing her fight.

“We should call for help!”

“Oh no! No one is calling for help! We’re going to kill it ourselves!” Rick says moodily.

“Are you nuts? That thing is gonna kill us!” A ginger hair boy says angrily as he draws a long knife from his belt and stabs the beast from behind.

“Alana change strategy, forget about what is it and focus on what it feels!” Rick commands.

“Roger that!” Alana puts the book aside and sits on the floor closing her eyes.

“Guys!” The blond girl yelps and the Wendigo breaks free. It dashes toward them and Allison pants. She can’t stand and it is so close now. She tries to call Alana’s name but instead she croaks.

Ropes come from behind the Wendigo and curl on its arms and legs. The rest of Alana’s party is trying retaining it the best they can.

“It is too strong!” Someone complains.

“Alana!”

“Shut up! You won’t let me listen well. Hold on” She grunts. The girl sucks a deep breath and Allison looks at the back she is carrying and a gun hanging on a side. Without thinking twice Allison grips it.

“It is scared!” Alana says aloud.

“Scared? Are you kidding? I’m scared!” The blond girl complains.

“Really? Come here and I’ll protect you!” Rick replies in a mockery.

“It isn’t fun guys! That thing is in panic, it fears for its life”

“I think you are feeling Jerry instead of that thing” Rick chuckles.

“Very funny” The ginger boy replies furiously. “Alana, just find what the hell it is so afraid of so we can use it against it”

“It…It is…Her!” Alana opens her eyes and stares at Allison with eyes wide open.

The others gap and don’t notice when they loosen their grip on the ropes and the beast breaks free.

It jumps so high it covers the moon.

Allison looks up with tears on her eyes and rises her hands to protect herself when she feels the fur on her fingers she knows it is over, but instead of drowning in a pool on her own blood.

A gaging makes her open her eyes. The Wendigo it’s on its knees struggling to breath.

Allison stirs and removes her hands from its chest. Instantly the beast stands and squealing runs away from her.  

Allison gasps and just like the Wendigo she begins to struggle to get air in her lungs. But despite it she is choking for real, the lump in her throat is too tight and the tears won’t stop flowing.

When she finally catches her breath she looks up to find all their guns pointing at her.

…….

“So. You are the boy who threatened me” The guy says with a sheepish grin.

“I…I don’t…Know who you are” Replies Stiles trying to at least kneel.

“Stiles!” Dylan cries as the woman drags him toward the werewolf.

“My name is Damian” He says quietly. “I am the Fenrir”

A shiver runs down Stiles’ spin when he hears his statement. Yet he tries to keep his pulse steady. He won’t let him know how frightened he is.

“There is no need for you to hide your fear. I’m used to it” He mocks.

“Stiles!”

“Dylan!” Stiles cries back. “Let him go! He is just a kid”

Damian snorts. “What are you going to do? Crawl here and kick my ass?”

“Maybe” Stiles replies sharply.

Damian and his party laughs. “Why binders have to so cocky?”

“Maybe because werewolves are a bunch of whiny assholes”

“Oh…You are amusing boy. It is a shame I must finish you. See it as mercy. I can see you are in a lot of pain anyway”

Stiles gasps and holds his breath as Damian climbs down the rock he is standing and slowly starts walking toward Stiles.

“Stay away from him” Derek’s voice grumbles suddenly and Stile’s heart gives a lurch.

“Derek!” Damian smiles. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been looking for you for years”

“You mean you were looking for death” Derek replies as he stands next to Stiles and sharp claws show in his hands.

“That’s funny, because if I remember well, the last time I saw you, you were the one running away like a scared pup”

“It was different then. I won’t run away now. We’re going to put an end to all this, right here, right now”

“De…” Stiles tries to say but his voice faints.

“What? You think you are stronger now because you people to care about? You think that you can beat me just because you wish it deep in your heart?” Damian mocks.

“I know I can beat because you aren’t anything but a coward, who needs to threaten people to join his cause”

Damian mocks. “Just to clear things up. There was a time I needed you Derek. I used to think that you were the key to unleash or race potential and break our chains, but now you are disposable. You are useless to me, so I would recommend you to either shut up and join me or simply die. Because there aren’t second chances”

Derek snorts. “I say the same. You better shut up and die, or just die anyway”

“You really think you can beat me, don’t you?” Damian’s green eyes glow.

“I know I can put an end to your miserable life, right here, right now”

“Stiles!”

“Dylan!”

Derek glares at Stiles and then focuses again on Damian.

“Okay. Just remember I gave you the choice to live” Damian finishes.

“Stiles!”

Claws and fangs pop out of Damian’s mouth and hands and throws himself over Derek.

“Stay away from him!” Stiles cries aloud.

Damian stops short and Derek does too. Both of them are staring at each other in attack position.

Damian’s muscles are tensed and there is some kind of inner struggle. As if he can’t move.

He laughs. “Wow! You really did this? I’m impressed!”

He steps back, grabs some impulse and tries to dash again toward Derek but instantly freezes.

Damian grins. “Even when you are so weak. You are capable of something like this” He licks his lips. “I’m intrigued about you young binder. Apparently your scent isn’t the only remarkable thing about you”

“And you haven’t tasted my sandwiches yet” Stiles says warily. “Now. Bring Dylan back to me!” He orders.

Damian steps back.

“Stiles let me move! I can kill him!” Derek says with gritted teeth.

 _I wish I could. But I have no idea of what the hell I just did._ He thinks with desperation. He can’t miss this change. He didn’t just get Damian’s attention, but also access to his body, he is his puppet now.

Damian makes the woman holding Dylan aside and grabs the boy in his arms.

“Now. Bring him to me” Stiles orders looking at him straight in the eye.

Damian steps ahead and then stops with a mocking grin. “Apparently you aren’t so strong after all. Binder” He delivers Dylan to the woman again.

The boy kicks and cries but she won’t let him go.

“Stiles please!”

“Stiles let me go!” Derek urges him.

_I don’t know what I am doing. Please forgive me you both._

“I guess I’ll see you later”

“No! Wait! Get him back! Please!” Stiles cries aloud, but Damian won’t listen. Instead he vanishes.

Taking Dylan with him.  

**Author's Note:**

> Look guys! I did a book cover tell me what you think about it in the comments https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203512825238308&l=214ccf1520


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